1400 Boylston Street | Star Market & Gulf | Fenway

After some brainstorming I went ahead and fixed the massing.

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I think it's fine filler and I don't hate it as much as some other folks, but this seems more like what I'd expect from (Mr. Hyde) Related Beal than from Samuels. That said, it has a Parcel 12-ness about it, but that project got away with it because of the massive improvement of the deck.
 
I like the setbacks, would love to see more of that around Boston. I even think the parklet is ok given the car traffic disaster that is that whole intersection area. If they put enough trees and hedges to wall off Park Drive it might become a pleasant place to linger. That intersection is so wide open and windswept, there is nothing a building on this site can do to help enclose the space. Might as well blow it wide open, which is exactly what they did.
 
I actually kind of like this. I'd prefer a bit more façade differentiation on the back "towers", but I definitely like the way the corner piece steps up from the park as if terraced landscaping. Remains to be see whether we actually see that effect, but as rendered, it's a cool concept.
 
I wish the solid elements of the facade were just a nice stone. I haven't had time to read through the PNF to know the materials for sure, but the muti-color treatment suggests pre-cast or aluminum panels. A simple stone facade would go a long way in de-cheapening it, in addition to breaking up the massing/height a bit more.
 
This is a location that doesn’t need green space. It has the Fens across the road. It needs a consistent massing up against the sidewalk, running up to the full height with a cornice and human-scaled detailing on the facade.
The triplets need to lose the glass spacers. They should get cozy like real city buildings. If possible, they should also get offset floor heights to really break up the massing.
 
I don't mind the additional green space they're proposing. It lines up nicely with the (well used) 401 Park landscaped space and makes it clear this is a space for hanging out. The Fens across the street serves a different purpose/program in that regard.
 
I guarantee if they shifted this project to labs, they would fill the block to the maximum allowed volume. It would probably be a better urban design than this current proposal.
 
The style fits in with the rest of Boylston + Brookline, so I don't feel super negative about the design.

That said, the amount of parking seems too high, even by the city's own standards.

Also, I'm not sure this park adds much value. There's already a ton of green space in the area. This new space is basically just a plaza with some plants. Was it just the cheapest way to deal with the old gas station?
 
W-4 said:
Also, I'm not sure this park adds much value. There's already a ton of green space in the area. This new space is basically just a plaza with some plants. Was it just the cheapest way to deal with the old gas station?
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I wondered the exact same thing. At the end of the day, I think this whole design is the path of least resistance.
  • Worried about shadows on Boylston Street & the Emerald Necklace? Make a generous setback from Park Drive.
  • Looking to preserve sight lines for your flatiron tenants/owners at the Pierce you co-own/built across the street? Give them another pretty park to look at to get neighborhood buy-in.
  • Want to avoid neighborhood parking concerns/woes? Add a net increase in off-street parking to the property.
  • Losing your neighborhood grocery store? We've got you covered--Star Market is moving into our soon-to-be-completed redevelopment across Brookline Ave.
  • How do we avoid seeking a variance on this development so we can get shovels in the ground fastest? Build to the volumes approved by the Fenway neighborhood groups years ago for the Fenway Triangle and Boylston Street.
  • How do limit scrutiny from the BCDC on our design? Hire Elkus Manfredi (sitting member on the Council)
Literally everything Samuels submitted for this project is to get this approved and out of the ground fast while there's still white-hot demand for lab space. And before anyone jumps to point out the recent Globe story about the bevy of lab science space and waning demand fears, I will point out that the geographic proximity of this development to the Longwood Medical Area makes it a no-brainer preferred site for any LMA Medical Institution's or Teaching Hospital's growth prospects within the next 5 years.

I wish Samuels all the best. Their development portfolio and execution of visionary redevelopment of the Fenway neighborhood is a remarkable track record, and this project should be no different. Who knows: maybe the plaza will host another biergarten or two.
 
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I dont think the lack of street wall up the lot corner here is a big deal. It basically fades into parkland. I like the steps design leading to the park. This should look really good coming from Longwood.
 
I think what should happen instead is keep the proposed park space where the gas station is located, then the parking lot abutting Peterborough could me a smaller, separate low-rise residential.
 
DAVE said:
I think what should happen instead is keep the proposed park space where the gas station is located, then the parking lot abutting Peterborough could me a smaller, separate low-rise residential.
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Sure if you're a SimCity mayor... but what you're suggesting is probably pretty complicated with different owners etc.
 
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