Metropolitan Storage Warehouse Redevelopment/Renovation (MIT) | 134 Mass. Ave | Cambridge

shmessy said:
Hatred for the museum???? It's the unfortunate ARCHITECTURE and placement that are the problem, not the MUSEUM itself..

See the pic in post #95.

-There is one small entranceway at the corner vertex. The rest is a continued fortress wall with no windows. Above the ground level - - no windows whatsoever except for one 'open mouth/corniche' midway up.
-Then the materials, style and color have no relationship/interaction with any of it's neighbors. No need to be uniform, but at least CONVERSE architecturally with neighbors, instead of folding arms and stubbornly squat.
-We are talking about one of the most heavily pedestrianized corners in the entire city - - one that tourists and travelers from all over the world are drawn to. And it completely deadens that corner. Why are there no windows' at least, MARKETING/COMMUNICATING the exhibits and excellent educational intentions of what is inside? The entire building's architecture says "stay away". Honestly, it is far more akin to the Volpe Transport building in Cambridge than to its neighbors on Tremont and Boston Common across the street.

It doesn't ADD to the location. Despite the tremendous educational/social/cultural of what is inside. The architecture squashes dynamic urbanization.

Compare THAT to the transparency and welcoming aspect to the pedestrians of the Metropolitan Warehouse which will greatly enliven a sidewalk that used to be a fortressed off dead zone. This Met Warehouse starts with a direct opposite street situation and does the exact opposite of the Holocaust Museum - - it IMPROVES the streetscape and neighborhood.
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The Holocaust Museum is like 60' wide on its ground floor along Tremont Street. I don't know how that could be considered a fortress. Plus basically every proposal has shown that the ground floor has permanent artwork and temporary signage for exhibitions. Not sure what you're looking at.
 
Homeowner: We'd like to open things up just a bit - you know, cut a 30' wide opening in our 2'-thick load-bearing brick wall - let some light in
Contractor: No problem, lemme see here, that will just take a little bit of steel. I know a guy...

msw_34-1.jpg
 
bigpicture7 said:
Homeowner: We'd like to open things up just a bit - you know, cut a 30' wide opening in our 2'-thick load-bearing brick wall - let some light in
Contractor: No problem, lemme see here, that will just take a little bit of steel. I know a guy...

View attachment 72005
Click to expand...
Brings to mind a quote from Mommie Dearest (1981): Joan Crawford: "Tear down that BITCH of a bearing wall and put a window where it OUGHT to be."
 
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