đź”· Open Thread

Looks like the BPL is auctioning off renaming stations on a (truncated) T map as a fundraiser. Pretty fun idea. Thoughts on potential renaming? As iconic as it is, changing Park to Boston Common might be the only way to help out-of-towners and suburbanites to finally get the name correct.
 
I know we can figure this out. Question on Dirty Old Boston. This is Amelia Earhart in Boston circa 1928. What building is in the background.
 

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JohnAKeith said:
I know we can figure this out. Question on Dirty Old Boston. What's in the background.
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It might be gone. I thought the building at Berkeley and Columbus. Or the one in the North End at Atlantic and Commercial. Or is it easier.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Church Park in the Fenway at 221 Massachusetts Avenue was sold on Monday for $439 million. It's a 508-unit apartment complex built in the cement Brutalist fashion.

This is the first time this property has ever sold since being built in 1973.

I was/am under the impression that the First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Scientists) were somehow involved in the original land deal but I can't find anything. Does anyone have the details?

The land was taken by eminent domain (I believe) and the entire city block of buildings demolished. One of the buildings on the street was the Loew's State Theatre. It was also known as the Donnelly Memorial Theatre and finally the Back Bay Theatre.

Judy Garland was one of the last performers at the Back Bay Theatre. She sang there in May 1968 following-up on her prior year's appearance on the Boston Common in front of 100,000+ fans.

Judy Garland The Concert Years 1966 – 1969 – The Judy Room

www.thejudyroom.com www.thejudyroom.com
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I was intrigued by the question regarding Church Park and the demolition of the theater. My first apartment was at Mass and Ave and Columbus so the plaza was my outdoor space. I enjoyed it very much and knew it was part of an I.M. Pei master plan but never thought of the history of what was torn down so I went down that rabbit hole.
Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

A lot of the information about construction of the center appears to be archived by the Church in physical form so not much on line but I found a 1973 lawsuit against the Church and Others that listed all the Parcels that make up the surrounding area of the plaza. Link- Jones v. Lynn, 354 F. Supp. 433 (D. Mass. 1973) It looks like the Church bought up properties surrounding the site over a number of years prior to construction so I assume they purchased the Back Bay Theater at some point. It appears the church was responsible in part for the Colonnade Hotel and The Greenhouse apartments as well as the towers that flank Mass Ave at Huntington.
Excerpt
Parcel 11: An 11-story building has been constructed on this parcel by the United Company on land sold to it by the Church Realty Trust. The structure contains 508 units of housing, 515 closed parking spaces and approximately 60,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor level. This parcel is not subject to the relief sought by the plaintiffs in this action.

The Church presented their master plan to the City and the City blessed it sort of speak. Here is a great report on the Church.
Christian Science Center Complex Boston Landmarks Commission Study Report
Excerpt
Presented to the Christian Science Church’s Board of Directors for approval in April 1964, the master plan underwent governmental review and approval into the fall of 1965.

Thanks for the question, now I know a bit more about the history of Boston.
 
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That might be my favorite building all year. I like how there's the nominal monthly fee to join - nothing exorbitant, but enough to encourage caring for the space and giving it a safe feel.
 
beck4537 said:
www.cbsnews.com

New York University & Columbia University would lose tax exempt status under newly introduced bill

Columbia and NYU are known for many things -- excellent education, beautiful campuses, and not paying property taxes.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com

This will most likely get killed by the state, but feel like Boston and other metros around MA could also benefit from this type of bill. Lot of colleges around here not paying a cent in property taxes that can go to great use.
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No.
 
cultureuncurled.substack.com

Architecture In the Age of Now

Repetition, recurrence, and fractal patterning look like eternity. Cultures that provide them will win over rootless people
cultureuncurled.substack.com cultureuncurled.substack.com

Takes the criticism of the Whoop building into a very different direction.
 
A little tired, and I skimmed it, but a lot of these posts/blogs seem to believe architects have a lot more power in today's built environment than they really do.

That is to say it's not all owners' faults. Architects could stand to learn a lot more from builders and the modern process(es) of construction - I think they would have a stronger sense of the buildings they design. Contractors could also put in some more effort into being team members as well...

Ultimately I think we need more architects-as-owners and architects-as-developers. There's a difference between well-designed Modern Architecture and the contemporary plastic everywhere that more people need to realize. It starts with understanding what your building, spending wisely, and trusting designers.
 
kingofsheeba said:
You just summed up Zionism in one post.
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Well yeah, I do come down on that side of it. I’ve wanted to and have tried to see it from both sides, but in light of the human rights issues that pervade in Gaza and the Muslim world combined with the manner in which the pro-Hamas/Gaza/Palestine protesters have behaved in this country and elsewhere whatever sympathy I might have had for their cause has completely evaporated.
 
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