Kenmore Square North (WHOOP) | 533-541 Commonwealth Ave | Fenway

[BeeLine]

IMG_1103 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1073 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1069 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1090 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1097 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1098 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1093 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1089 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_1075 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

 

[xec]

IMG_1097 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

I'll probably be banned forever from aB for saying this, but I like it.

 

[JeffDowntown]

This building looks like it was designed to be a tear-down in 20 years. Everything about it says cheap.

 

[Brad Plaid]

It's nothing great but it certainly isn't the anti-Christ it's being made out to be. Anger at the demo has a lot to do with the negativity.

 

[Money]

It's nothing great but it certainly isn't the anti-Christ it's being made out to be. Anger at the demo has a lot to do with the negativity.

I agree that the demo didn't help, but it's still a pretty poor effort. 128 soulless architecture in a downtown square that we should be making our best effort to promote good architecture and placemaking. This is doing the exact opposite. The brick work - ouch. The apologetic curve in the upper 2 stories to make the Citgo sign somewhat visible - ouch again.

 

[St. Botolph Street]

8/2/21

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I wouldn't say I've every truly defended this building in the past; I probably said it wasn't as bad as others were saying. But I have to be honest that now I really do see the terrible quality. It wasn't really a bad design, but the execution is bad.

 

[stick n move]

Exactly if this was clad in real brick like the bolling municipal building in roxbury it would have been pretty nice. Even some quality precast like the quinn in the south end would have been fine.

 

[HenryAlan]

I'll probably be banned forever from aB for saying this, but I like it.

I kind of do, too. The geometry is actually pretty cool. But the faux brick pattern on the facade just seems really wrong. I can understand the thought process, that a building with very modern angles and envelope shape should not have a retro look to the exterior. Perhaps that part will grow on us. But I just have a lot of trouble getting past the way the brick tiles stack one directly above the other.

 

[BACsop]

8/6-7

FWIW, my partner, who was walking with me at the time when I took these photos and doesn't have any particular interest in architecture/urban planning/design etc, said "wow that building looks really good!"

 

[FormFollowsBudget]

^ Alternatively, I was down there in early June and was told by a few friends that it's "so ugly" and asked "why do architects keep making stuff this bad?"

I gave them a good rant on developers.

 

[Charlie_mta]

View attachment 15502

This building commits a multitude of sins, but the worst one has to be that pinkish color.

 

[DZH22]

8/10 this development is so weird

IMG_2747 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_2798 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_2806 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_2807 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[BeeLine]

IMG_2728 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2692 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2695 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2697 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2701 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2703 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2707 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2724 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2719 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

 

[xec]

IMG_2728 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

I might change my mind once I see it in person, but going by pictures like this one I really, really like what I'm seeing.

 

[BeeLine]

IMG_2690 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2714 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2712 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2713 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2728 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2733 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
IMG_2717 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

 

[Beantropolis]

What an aggressively banal building! It's quite depressing that such a building now so dominates Kenmore Square.

 

[Charlie_mta]

This is probably an overworn cliche on ArchBoston, but this building really does belong in an office park on Route 128 somewhere, NOT in Kenmore Square.

 

[PerfectHandle]

What an aggressively banal building! It's quite depressing that such a building now so dominates Kenmore Square.

Ok but it's not even the worst building in Kenmore.

 

[RandomWalk]

Even in photos from arguably the best photographer on this board, the building look cheap in the context of its neighbors. Perhaps the developer is gambling that those neighbors will be replaced in time with equally cheap buildings.