Liberty Mutual Tower | 157 Berkeley Street | Back Bay

Ugh… those photos really highlight how *something* needs to replace the parking lots across the intersection from the Liberty Mutual building. That intersection just bleeds out to nothing.
 
stick n move said:
2 floors would fit perfectly into the missing notch on that side.
View attachment 76630

5 not as much
View attachment 76631


Apparently theyre also planning on putting a new sign on the tower crown.
www.bostonglobe.com

Liberty Mutual plans to expand Back Bay headquarters ‘for the next 100 years’ - The Boston Globe

The insurance giant could also add a company sign atop its Back Bay headquarters.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
Click to expand...
I have to assume the argument will be that the offset upward (5 stories) is no worse than the former offset downward. Particularly given the corner buildings are being replaced with 10 stories, so the offset now leads upward to the next building. It is more jarring without the new building to the right there for context.
 
JeffDowntown said:
I have to assume the argument will be that the offset upward (5 stories) is no worse than the former offset downward. Particularly given the corner buildings are being replaced with 10 stories, so the offset now leads upward to the next building. It is more jarring without the new building to the right there for context.
Click to expand...

It would be straight across because the top of the 5 story addition is at 10 stories. So the top of the addition would line up with the roof of the new building.

Too bad they cant gut the brick buildings, save the facades, and build the new building on top of them.

Hopefully they take advantage of the triangular shape of the lot, if they build another flat iron with a limestone facade it could be nice.
 
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stick n move said:
It would be straight across because the top of the 5 story addition is at 10 stories. So the top of the addition would line up with the roof of the new building.

Too bad they cant gut the brick buildings, save the facades, and build the new building on top of them.

Hopefully they take advantage of the triangular shape of the lot, if they build another flat iron with a limestone facade it could be nice.
Click to expand...
I agree, I wish they could save the facades and build up from there.
 
Pitch:
  1. Liberty Mutual builds a fancy-schmancy new state-of-the-art 4-bay Fire Station at Columbus and Berkeley here.
  2. BFD Station 7 (E7/L17/Car 4) moves in, out of their current 50+ year-old building right up the street.
  3. Liberty Mutual gets the old fire station parcel directly across from their current HQ.
  4. Liberty Mutual builds 10-15 stories there, connected via gerbil tube across Columbus.
 
JeffDowntown said:
Utilities under the streets, which would require you to go very deep to connect. The gerbil tubes connect at the levels people are using in the buildings. Deep underground connections would require a lot of extra vertical access ($$$). Also a continuous third floor connection corridor (common in the hospital complexes) is much easier for people/patients with limited mobility than having to go down to the sub-basement level for each crossing, then back up into the building.
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all true, plus private use is not allowed under/over City ROW. You cant put a parking garage, water retention, etc under a city street. Back in the day they needed approval through PIC to do the pedestrian connection above the ROW.
 
HenryAlan said:
I don't really have a problem with gerbil tubes. I actually think they are kind of cool. That one, in particular is nice in the way that it borrows from the Public Garden bridge.
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This gerbil tube is my absolute favorite!!
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I sense the building will have the same shape as it has now just longer to fill out the parcel. I also think they can’t wait to get ride of that billboard
 
stick n move said:
2 floors would fit perfectly into the missing notch on that side.
View attachment 76630

5 not as much
View attachment 76631


Apparently theyre also planning on putting a new sign on the tower crown.
www.bostonglobe.com

Liberty Mutual plans to expand Back Bay headquarters ‘for the next 100 years’ - The Boston Globe

The insurance giant could also add a company sign atop its Back Bay headquarters.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com
Click to expand...
That's great, I always wondered why they didn't have their sign on the top of the building. Seems like a missed opportunity.
 
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