Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex | Cambridge

[czsz]

Re: Cambridge Developments

^ That has its own thread. Thanks for the update though. It's looking ever more like something from Mussolini's EUR.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

That is a lot of Limestone. I like the massing but I wish they would have used some additional materials.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

2010.07.31

Odd that one of this building's greatest design flourishes ^ faces onto a loading dock -- EDIT: the loading dock is temporary, and this area will be the main entrance from campus

^ I like the high-tech look the sidewalk shed adds to the mix

Bonus shots of Harkness Commons:

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

^ Loading dock is temporary; the "design flourish" will be the entrance from the campus side. Eventually half of Pound Hall (visible at left in this photo) will be demolished to open up more views/access from campus.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

^ Good to hear

That is a lot of Limestone. I like the massing but I wish they would have used some additional materials.

Agreed, and I'll add that the window rhythms Stern sets up are far too simplistic to act as relief to all that limestone. It ends up feeling quite oppresive even though the individual elements -- massing, materials, build quality -- all point to this one being a looker. And the curved corners on the main volume of the building (see the 2nd pic) only serve to accentuate how out of touch it is with its surroundings.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

And who puts an International Style top on a building that uses H.H. Richardson as the basis for its design vocabulary? Is that supposed to be a half-assed nod to Walter Gropius? Looks like a shitty Sears-Robuck 3-season room tacked onto an historic Colonial.

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

It tries to be more than the sum of its parts (elements of Richardson's nearby Austin, with its arches and greystone, neoclassical Langdell, plus some glass thrown in to make sure the image of the school isn't too traditional) but fails.

Fortress-like has been my assessment from the beginning. There are even some windows that look like they were designed as arrow slits for archers to point their bows out of while defending it (from townies, maybe?)

On the Everett St. side the big windows are half bricked-up with stone for no apparent reason.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

And who puts an International Style top on a building that uses H.H. Richardson as the basis for its design vocabulary? Is that supposed to be a half-assed nod to Walter Gropius? Looks like a shitty Sears-Robuck 3-season room tacked onto an historic Colonial.

Good catch. That looks incredibly ridiculous.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

^ I was offended by this utterly preposterous design decision from day one.

 

[GW2500]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Some Crimson flags and a few trees will help w/ the lack of other colors.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

I take it back, far too bunker-ish. I know where I am running to when the bombs start to fall.

 

[jass]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

A fortress for sure.

I think it will look better in 5 years once the stone has aged.

 

[bdurden]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

^I remember hearing that excuse for the Hotel Commonwealth -- maybe there is some truth to it, I'm much less offended by it now than I was then.

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

That's because the Mayor forced the Hotel Commonwealth to redo its entire facade...

 

[bdurden]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Which, realistically, was only a minor improvement on what is still a flawed Second Empire inspired building. Better, but not good. But I'm used to it and at least there is street activity. This Harvard building is foreboding at best.

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

And not even Harvard-y, right? My theory is that, beyond its attempts to blend with the rest of campus, Elena Kagan wanted something that would look like the domain that's most comfortable to her: some titanic administrative agency in DC. But the expensive materials plus heavy Romanesque design elements made it come out like the awkward offspring of an office park building and a 12th century bishop's palace. I call it Kagan's Keep or Kagan's Castle.

 

[kennedy]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

I still like it well enough. Better than a lot of the shit going up recently. Although, that silly design flourish/aqueduct-wall thing I really don't like.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Walked by this yesterday while in Harvard Sq. My opinions haven't changed: far too much limestone and too bunkerish.

I also don't like the scale at this point in Mass Ave. The building is far too hulking for that side of Mass Ave. It is right next to a series of 1 story retail buildings and 3 story apartment houses. Yes, this will change as these lots get developed, but the new Harvard building could have at least softened the transition. I feel like this building is out of place, if it was located in another part of the campus it would fit in, even stand out in a good way. Where it is now it just seems dumped in. Even as the city grows around it it will be the odd one out.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Van -- Do you find the design cues and material palate as ridiculous as I do?

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

It feels out of place because it belongs in DC, or maybe even Mussolini's pet city of EUR.