The Hub on Causeway (née TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

[stick n move]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

^.....no

 

[Lrfox]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

A lot of bitching about height here. It could go higher. In fact, that would be nice. But I think the actual design of the two buildings is infinitely better than what we've seen to date and the podium is still everything we wanted. I'd be very, very happy if this were to be built as-is.

 

[Boston02124]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

really? I not even including the 80's proposal but this newest renditions is awful I'll take these over this any day IMO

 

[cjbski]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

The first one was the best with the step-down and different height....

 

[deh74]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

It's not that I hate the current proposal, it's just that I think it would be more suitable as infill downtown or in the back bay somewhere, not as what should be the most prominent building on the northern approach to the city.

 

[jpdivola]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Does anyone know the motive behind the drop in height? Was it to tamp down neighborhood opposition or a downsizing to make it easier to finance?

 

[lapradetom]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Does anyone know the motive behind the drop in height? Was it to tamp down neighborhood opposition or a downsizing to make it easier to finance?

The original height of 600' was already approved by officials. Given the fact that it is notoriously difficult to build anything of height with all of the NIMBY's in this city, and with demand for housing extremely high, Mayor Walsh should remind the developers about his plan to add thousands of units, and why slicing 15-20 floors worth of apartments off an already approved new building, really doesn't help with that plan. Then there's the supposed emphasis on "transit oriented development". What better place to build density than over North Station?

 

[Mike]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I don't think this is as bad as some here are making it out to be, but it's not nearly as good as it should be, either. I do think this is the best version of the office tower so far but it needs some slimming down. The residential is boring as hell and too short.

Looking forward to hearing the results of the meeting. I hope they force a change with this proposal.

 

[stick n move]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Any word if there will be a live stream of this like there was for the garden garage tower. This time I will actually be rooting for the NIMBY's....this time, just so it can be redesigned better and then can watch their tears rain from the heavens when a 600 footer goes through.

 

[shawn]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

They look like two Seaport stumps, doubled in height.

I am embarrassed for Boston. We really can't do statement architecture, can we. No-name bed towns west of Tokyo have better "main station" tower complexes. Why always aiming so low?

The last rendering above shows an office tower which looks like Tokyo's Marunouchi Building's gimpy cousin. The Maru-Biru was finished in 2000. Come on guys, this thing's aesthetics are at least 15 years too late.

 

[whighlander]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I would argue its not all about the podium due to this developments location. The podium is perfect, leave it, the towers- as the gateway to Boston- have to deliver.

Stick -- I agree totally -- especially as just down the street will be the far more inventive and interesting Congress St. Garage complex

 

[whighlander]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

They look like two Seaport stumps, doubled in height.

I am embarrassed for Boston. We really can't do statement architecture, can we. No-name bed towns west of Tokyo have better "main station" tower complexes. Why always aiming so low?

Shawn -- Not really always-- take a look at Pelli's design for the Congress St. Garage Office Tower -- in fact even the companion Residence is more inventive -- and Congress St. has to work with the remnants of the old garage

These guys have a clean sheet to work from with a highly inventive podium already approved -- all it takes to "Bring it home" -- is the replacement of the standard rectilinear boxes with something that has some variations on a theme

 

[shawn]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I get that the podium is relatively-well executed and brings a much-needed station shotengai / retail arcade to North Station. But "highly inventive"? Maybe to the Boston mindset, but again: this is par for course in so many other cities Bostonians would consider below our peer city set. Every second-tier station in major Japanese or Korean cities have podium towers in the same league or better than this. Been doing this for decades.

That we are all happy to excuse piss-poor high rise architecture in return for just one well-executed transit/retail podium above the biggest train station in New England speaks volumes to how low the bar is set. Little League stuff for people stuck with Little League ambitions.

 

[bayvillagebrahmin]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Any live news from the BCDC? Praying over here..

 

[Proposition Joe]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

BCDC will be reviewing Phases 2 & 3 tonight.

New rendering as well, I think:

On the bright side, the tower on the right looks much better than originally proposed and that cage on the top adds a lot of character to what originally looked like a mini One Beacon Street. The podium still looks fantastic. One Nashua Street is going to give this area some much needed height regardless of how this project turns out. The tower on the left though...

what a shame.

 

[George_Apley]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Always amusing how tiny the Zakim is in renders.

 

[dshoost88]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Oh boy, where to begin...



I'm pleased to say I attended the BCDC meeting for this mega development, and by the look of it I was the lone member of "the public" in attendance (or at the very least the only non BP/BCDC member to speak).

Highlights:

- The rendering Downburst shared of the office tower (from the 11/24 BCDC meeting) has been changed. To quote the architect, they did a "reboot" for the site taking into account the site, the BCDC's feedback, and neighborhood concerns. "We want to strive to be taller, more iconic, and reflective of history and the character for this part of the city. Transformed into a modern architecture looking forward."
- Unfortunately, they cannot go higher than 420' for an occupiable floor... but they can put a spire.
- residential tower will have highly reflective glass similar to (identical) to the Intercontinental Hotel on Fort Point Channel, as well as transparent glass on the sides facing Causeway St + the north.
- The hotel and office are being called "The Hub on Causeway"...
- Adamant about a 'green' or sustainable feature on the roof, so there will be wind turbines and I think PV's atop the building (photovoltaics? they didn't elaborate)

I chimed in at the end of the meeting to share some of AB's sentiments about the site (go iconic, taller, be bold, etc.). A couple BCDC members noted they actually frequent this website, so that was exciting to hear. I suggested if they're going to do a spire, to consider something more central on top of the building like One Liberty Place in Philly (the developer smiled when I said this, but confessed upon trying that initially it didn't look good from all vantage points because the building is 12 stories too short for it to work properly). I also suggested some sort of nod to Boston's marine heritage... something more marine than the fishing pole-like spire feature they've got now. I told them to look up "The Address" in Dubai for inspiration on how to tie together the North and South sides of the building while still having a spire feature facing the Zakim, and to integrate wind turbines into the body of the crown's "sail".

They plan to take this to the BRA commission in 2 weeks (2/2) for approval, so don't expect too many differences from these pictures:

IMG_2767 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2768 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2766 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2765 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2764 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2760 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2762 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2758 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2757 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2756 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2755 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2754 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2753 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2752 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2746 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2747 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2748 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2749 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2742 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2741 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2737 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2728 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2726 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2723 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2720 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2718 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

 

[chrisbrat]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

i think the changes are very positive and i absolutely endorse the spire. also -- very cool you went to the meeting. i was hoping to, but am out of town.

 

[Equilibria]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I'll admit it looks like "Boston". Specifically, it looks like the unholy lovechild of 888 Boylston and Atlantic Wharf. Better than what they had before, I guess. At least it isn't boring.

Anyone else find it funny that the massing here is really starting to revert to those PoMo designs from the 1980s?

 

[jpdibenedetto]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Yes.... I'm really digging the spire the building is much different than anything in Boston which makes it already a go in my book. Glad they made the changes.