401 Park Drive (née Landmark Center) | Fenway

Two thoughts.

This is SO much better than the July submission which was a hodgepodge of random materials and timid "design" moves that looked completely out of place next to both the old Landmark and new labs at the back. The fenestration and materials relate much better, the base is more articulated and doesn't look like an office park wall anymore. A lot more layering of some "industrial" look that is sort of being established around the site now. It's not anything groundbreaking, but it's just generally tasteful and makes the block feel more cohesive instead of a jumbled fight to compete.

And dear god I am so sick of architects throwing bushes and trees on top of buildings/balconies. It's greenwashing and a design crutch. I will eat my shoe if the real deal ever looks close to as lush as those renderings (especially that illustrative trellis on the north side).
 
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I definitely liked the August version more than the previously July and earlier versions, but to me this September version is a bit *too* similar to 201 Brookline. I like the increased consistency with 201 Brookline, but I also don’t want this to be a total carbon copy.

I guess I want siblings, not twins.
 
JumboBuc said:
I definitely liked the August version more than the previously July and earlier versions, but to me this September version is a bit *too* similar to 201 Brookline. I like the increased consistency with 201 Brookline, but I also don’t want this to be a total carbon copy.

I guess I want siblings, not twins.
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This is the sibling that's trying to dye its hair green to be different. Yet it can't hide the fact that it's cut from the same cloth.

(and we all know that adolescent hair dye never lasts anyway)
 
This looks like a worse version than the one they're putting up now. It's basically the same building except the windows aren't nearly as good. Not a lot of imagination went into this one.
 
9/16/21

9_16_21.jpg
 
It's a shame we're not getting a deck over the tracks here. I know it's only a small bit of track and it's hardly the major scar that the pike is, but we should still always be looking to bury as much as track as possible.
 
stick n move said:
The u/c building is so much more impactful than expected.

That new render matches with the other building and overall complex much better than before imo. The bushes are dumb tho.
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I think that's been every Bostonian's opinion going at least all the way back to Poppy. 😂

Sorry. I've been chastised before for inserting political humor in the aB forum, but I just didn't have the willpower to resist that opening. 😔
 
Bananarama said:
I will eat my shoe if the real deal ever looks close to as lush as those renderings (especially that illustrative trellis on the north side).
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Right? And of all firms, Elkis Manfredi should know they're not working in Singapore here.
 
BronsonShore said:
It's a shame we're not getting a deck over the tracks here. I know it's only a small bit of track and it's hardly the major scar that the pike is, but we should still always be looking to bury as much as track as possible.
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There's a New Fenway community path going adjacent/over the tracks between Fenway & Lansdowne Stations, so a decked building here would be a non-starter... already too many cooks in the kitchen as far as stakeholders for that project's ROW, but I believe it's breaking ground soon (if it hasn't begun already).
 
Editing my initial post asking about the Fenway Multiuse Path, which was talked up a lot in the Landmark expansion plans but has made zero progress. While I understand that the first two phases (which are honestly extremely small fry) are next door to Landmark so it makes sense to finish building construction before doing the paths, the most important part has made zero progress and, surprise, surprise, it's probably because it has to go thru the MBTA. Think anyone at the T is even bothering to think about this project, or are they gonna hide behind the Army Corps project until it's well finished before finding another excuse? It literally requires taking down a fence, grading a connection from the park to the Fenway Station, removing the rails of the old spur, and paving. Sigh...

Link
  • Phase I, Maitland to Miner: Phase I will be constructed by MassDOT as a TIP project. Construction is scheduled to begin 2021.
    [*]Phase II, Miner to Fenway Station: Phase II will be constructed by the Landmark Center. Construction is anticipated to begin 2021.
    [*]Phase III, Fenway Station to the Emerald Necklace path in Brookline: Phase III requires additional design coordination with the MBTA. Construction would follow the Army Corps of Engineers Muddy River Flood Risk Management Project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
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dshoost88 said:
There's a New Fenway community path going adjacent/over the tracks between Fenway & Lansdowne Stations, so a decked building here would be a non-starter... already too many cooks in the kitchen as far as stakeholders for that project's ROW, but I believe it's breaking ground soon (if it hasn't begun already).
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The section next to Fenway station is done, but as FK4 points out, it's rather useless until it gets a connection under the DCR roads to the Muddy River paths. That would be a huge gamechanger.
 
#bancars said:
The section next to Fenway station is done, but as FK4 points out, it's rather useless until it gets a connection under the DCR roads to the Muddy River paths. That would be a huge gamechanger.
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The Scape/BCH project on Beacon will also accommodate its connection E to Ortiz Drive, which will set up a nice path from Lansdowne Station to Fenway Station. Cleaning the ROW and finishing the trail on that side is also MBTA responsibility, so it’s taking time.

And yeah, the connection under Park Drive is crucial. Such low-hanging fruit…

At least they added a cross walk and pedestrian Beacon crossing Park Drive *on top* of Fenway Station this summer, so that’s a slight improvement.
 
#bancars said:
The section next to Fenway station is done, but as FK4 points out, it's rather useless until it gets a connection under the DCR roads to the Muddy River paths. That would be a huge gamechanger.
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I've been anxiously awaiting this for so long haha.
And I remember the ROW section next to Landmark all the way through to the huge parking lots on Maitland back when it was open to the public. The final section was filled with tents of homeless people and got a lot of foot traffic during games, it was great to get people from Fenway Station to Fenway Park. It was a good spot at night to smoke weed in, other than the one time a bunch of my friends got busted by the cops (I got away haha). I never liked how they closed it down in the 2000s, for no good reason (unless you support blocking off unused land that homeless people use), although I get that it's a major construction site now so needs to be fenced off.

JumboBuc said:
At least they added a cross walk and pedestrian Beacon crossing Park Drive *on top* of Fenway Station this summer, so that’s a slight improvement.
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True. Although cars keep parking on the no parking triangle which causes dangerous traffic patterns on the road. I don't get why Boston Police don't just ticket people who park on those triangular "this is where the row of parking ends" spaces. It's egregious. In this case, though, they should have just removed all the parking on Park Drive.
 
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