115 Federal St. (Winthrop Square)

[bowesst]

Like I said, symbols don't make or break a city. There are plenty of great cities without symbols. But I think it is sort of an interesting discussion as to what becomes a symbolic or an iconic structure. The Golden Gate Bridge is not just another bridge. It's a symbol.[/quote]

symbols can be dangerous if they symbolize the wrong things. WTC and capitalism/material imperialism.

Yes. Of course. But they can also be great things. I never saw the World Trade center towers as symols of evil. Nor do I see The Space Needle, the Golden Gate Bridge or The John Hancock Tower as evil symbols.

Neither do I, but I was bringing up the fact that some people do. SO it is important to keep in mind what a structure symbolizes. the WTC complex symbolized greed, unfairness and MNCs to those who knocked it down, or so they think.

and a plan to attack the space needle was foiled by the CIA in the last decade. Im sure nothing like this will be the case in boston, but the thought crossed my mind so i shared it.

If we built a giant building in the shape of a peace sign I think they'd probably still want to attack it.

 

[Patrick]

Like I said, symbols don't make or break a city. There are plenty of great cities without symbols. But I think it is sort of an interesting discussion as to what becomes a symbolic or an iconic structure. The Golden Gate Bridge is not just another bridge. It's a symbol.[/quote]

symbols can be dangerous if they symbolize the wrong things. WTC and capitalism/material imperialism.

Yes. Of course. But they can also be great things. I never saw the World Trade center towers as symols of evil. Nor do I see The Space Needle, the Golden Gate Bridge or The John Hancock Tower as evil symbols.

Neither do I, but I was bringing up the fact that some people do. SO it is important to keep in mind what a structure symbolizes. the WTC complex symbolized greed, unfairness and MNCs to those who knocked it down, or so they think.

and a plan to attack the space needle was foiled by the CIA in the last decade. Im sure nothing like this will be the case in boston, but the thought crossed my mind so i shared it.

If we built a giant building in the shape of a peace sign I think they'd probably still want to attack it.

seemingly so, but actually not. The way terrorists generate support is by playing on people's perception of injustice. The WTC represents things that people in the middle east found unjust (trade policies etc) but no one finds a peace sign unjust. In fact, Islam, like all major religions, is peace loving and only says attack those who threaten or attack the principles of the religion. So, a peace sign would not generate enough support. A major headquarters for dozens of MNCs and trading groups would, though, because it represents the materialism of americans, a materialism that has infiltrated urban centers of the middle east via baywatch etc and a materialism which is a sin in whabi-ism (Osama's "denomination" of Islam...which is perhaps the strictess of all in terms of interpretation). But this is way off topic now, has anyone been able to find those initial renderings for winthrop square that used to be posted?

 

[Ron Newman]

If this happened to Boston City Hall in the middle of the night, most Bostonians would probably wake up and cheer the next morning.

 

[bowesst]

I think I disagree. IMO the whole "materialism threatening Islam" thing is bullshit. Its just a cover. Why don't these Islamic fundamentalists attack Japan or the Netherlands or the UAE for that matter?

 

[BostonSkyGuy]

^ I think of Cheesesteak when I think of Philly. That's all that comes to my mind. I no speak no english.

Is anyone else sick of those commercials for Philly by Southwest? "Got alot..alot..alot of culture here." :evil:

You must be a Sox fan. They must play that commercial...10-15 times per game, and I'm not making a vast exaggeration, it's on pretty much every time they go to commercial.

The hilarious part is when they're asked what's there to do in Philly and they say "There's the Liberty Bell", "People wanna come see the Liberty Bell" then "And the Cheesesteaks!", "There's the Cheesesteaks!" and "Cheesesteaks!" But by far what takes the cake with me is when they're listing stuff and some woman goes "Pretzels". Every city in the country has pretzel carts, It makes me laugh every time.

To sum up the commercial--What's there to do in Philly? Go see the Liberty Bell, and eat some cheesesteaks and pretzels. Game Over, go home. Anyone else up for a road trip?

(sorry for the derail)

 

[bowesst]

^ I think of Cheesesteak when I think of Philly. That's all that comes to my mind. I no speak no english.

Is anyone else sick of those commercials for Philly by Southwest? "Got alot..alot..alot of culture here." :evil:

You must be a Sox fan. They must play that commercial...10-15 times per game, and I'm not making a vast exaggeration, it's on pretty much every time they go to commercial.

The hilarious part is when they're asked what's there to do in Philly and they say "There's the Liberty Bell", "People wanna come see the Liberty Bell" then "And the Cheesesteaks!", "There's the Cheesesteaks!" and "Cheesesteaks!" But by far what takes the cake with me is when they're listing stuff and some woman goes "Pretzels". Every city in the country has pretzel carts, It makes me laugh every time.

To sum up the commercial--What's there to do in Philly? Go see the Liberty Bell, and eat some cheesesteaks and pretzels. Game Over, go home. Anyone else up for a road trip?

(sorry for the derail)

What are you talking about? Everyone knows you have to go to Philly to get a pretzel. Don't you love the guy in the cab who's like "Its like a baby New York!"

 

[BostonSkyGuy]

What are you talking about? Everyone knows you have to go to Philly to get a pretzel. Don't you love the guy in the cab who's like "Its like a baby New York!"

That's another good one. He says it with such excitement.

The whole commercial is really a 10 on the unintentional comedy scale. Because they open with "What's there to do in Philly?" and then it's cut to the Cab driver who goes "Uhhh...there's a lot...alot alot of culture here" and the people generally struggle to find 5 ACTUAL things that you can actually do/want to do in Philly. It's hilarious.

 

[JSic]

I never understood why Southwest chose Philly in particular. I would have thought they'd make several commercials repping different cities as destinations.

 

[Ron Newman]

Those are from Southwest? Not from the Philly tourist board? I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.

 

[Patrick]

so does anyone have a copy of the initial size renderings for 115 WS saved on their hard drive? Could you post them if you do..thanks

 

[statler]

^ Is this what you were looking for?

 

[Patrick]

^ Is this what you were looking for?

yes, excellent, I know its not an official rendering, but I love looking at images that show the potential ways in which a skyline could ne changed...thats the most exciting part of a new development in my opinion. Thank you very much! I'm sorry if it was posted elsewhere already.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Wait, has anyone figured out who is gonna pay for this?

 

[castevens]

I am

 

[TC]

Can anyone tell me what site the tall 'blue' box on the South Boston waterfront is?

 

[castevens]

South Station tower?

 

[castevens]

The other one, I don't know. All the way to the right is the North Station towers though, I think.

 

[KentXie]

It's the Gateway Center and the SST except I think a lot shorter. Maybe their height has been lowered or is lowered in the rendering to emphasis the height of the Winthrop Tower.

 

[Patrick]

^ it could also be a matter of perspective, if that tower to which you refer is in the distance as compared with the towers in the foreground. for example, the JH tower appears shorter on the emporis rendering of bosotns skyline than a lot of other towers....figured it was because it was in the distant background compared to the rest of the city from that angle.

 

[BostonSkyGuy]

[quote="Patrick for example, the JH tower appears shorter on the emporis rendering of bosotns skyline than a lot of other towers...[/quote]

That rendering is shit. You're right, it's because of the angle, but there is about 100 better vantage points they could have picked. It really does an injustice to the skyline. I even wrote them and told them it didn't remotely look like Boston.