Novartis Campus | 181-211 Mass Ave, 22 Windsor Street | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Of course it will go out of style. Everything does. But then some things come back into style. Who would have thought 15 years ago that skinny ties would ever be cool again?

I'd argue that what is trendy now has a greater chance of retaining some appeal compared to the trends of the 70s and 80s. Things built with real materials—stone, glass, and wood—will have legs. Things built with fake materials—paneling and faux brick—will not. This one has a chance.
 
kjdonovan said:
Of course it will go out of style. Everything does. But then some things come back into style. Who would have thought 15 years ago that skinny ties would ever be cool again?

I'd argue that what is trendy now has a greater chance of retaining some appeal compared to the trends of the 70s and 80s. Things built with real materials—stone, glass, and wood—will have legs. Things built with fake materials—paneling and faux brick—will not. This one has a chance.
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+1
 
That mural was so much better than the current one.
 
^
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FWIW I quite like how the stone brise-soleil turned out.
 
Very very curious to see how this holds up this winter. Lots of teeny-tiny holes for snow & ice to build up in and freeze.
 
When the fencing and construction equipment is removed and the ground floor is activated this will all come together quite nicely.
 
Just to be clear...I was just trying to make the point that this building presents a very atypical face (c.f."not just a second baseman"), and if anything looks like it is peering out from above a perforated bandana.

I'm not trying to be facile, i think its a big deal for the success of this building. Definitely not the only thing or the most important part about it ...but the lack of 'features' or even any clear indication of where the entrance is (so far) feels a little problematic.





....In other words, Maya Lin is a sculptor who occasionally masquerades as an architecture
 
I love that it looks like a coral reef and think it's definitely an upgrade for Mass Ave and Central Square. :)
 
dshoost88 said:
I love that it looks like a coral reef and think it's definitely an upgrade for Mass Ave and Central Square. :)
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Beats the ol NECCO experience in all ways but 2:

  • NECCO wafers -- the candy that glows in the dark*1
  • the NECCO smell that permeated the area especially around holidays when the plant ran 24X7

*1 Triboluminescence -- snapping the NECCO Wafer in a dark closet was my first introduction to the "WOW Factor" of science -- the wafers glow briefly as the sugar crystals rearrange themselves -- try it! :cool:
 
I think all parts here, taken as a whole, are very interesting and handsome. I don't like that blank glass wall along Mass. Ave--hopefully they'll pull down the coverings and the interior will engage with the street in some way.

The juxtaposition in the first picture of what I'm sure was an extremely expensive facade and building with the yellow sheet metal box next door really captures the transformation of Kendall.
 
The 181 Mass Ave building will have three ground floor retail spaces which should help soften the building.
 
This thing is a real piece of shit. That overhang is massive, dark, and downright threatening. The courtyard is the definition of wasted space and a massive fuck you to our housing problem. If you haven't seen it in person, it is worth a special trip to experience this level of architectural failure firsthand.
 
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