401 Park Drive (née Landmark Center) | Fenway

12345 said:
www.universalhub.com

Landmark Center owner wants to add more life-sciences space and a Star Market to expansion project

Samuels & Associates yesterday filed plans with the BPDA for a new 13-story building next to the existing Landmark Center that would include 550,000 square feet of lab and related office space and room for a large new Star Market that would replace the current one on Boylston Street. Read more.
www.universalhub.com www.universalhub.com
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NPC (with a bunch of renders):
bpda.app.box.com

2021-04-30_Notice of Project Change (NPC)_Landmark Center.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com bpda.app.box.com
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I love the site plan, but the architecture looks very Elkus.
 
I hate that they're leaving all that open space between the building and the street. Really hurts the pedestrian experience.
 
It's disappointing that neither of these additions to Landmark remotely engage the existing building. They could go on any block in Fenway. Such a cool opportunity being next to arguably one of the most handsome buildings in this part of the city and it's totally ignored.

The space in front of the building marked "drop off" is drawn oddly. Like a parking lot without defined spot?
But I don't really think there's much they could do to effectively move the building forward. Park Dr is steeply sloped there (something their lush rendering from the intersection conveniently ignores) so any of that stuff around the entrance is only really accessible after walking downhill then turning in where Landmark starts. They'd need a split level or multi-level ground floor if the pedestrian access and presence along the street was priority #1 - not happening with a grocery store.
 
Bananarama said:
It's disappointing that neither of these additions to Landmark remotely engage the existing building. They could go on any block in Fenway. Such a cool opportunity being next to arguably one of the most handsome buildings in this part of the city and it's totally ignored.
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I think the point was to not engage it, to cut down on the superblock effect.
 
Equilibria said:
I think the point was to not engage it, to cut down on the superblock effect.
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I mean in the architectural expression of the facade and general massing shape. Not a literal connection (although they do abut).
You can acknowledge context without creating a superblock.
 
The sloped wall looks very awkward. I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but it doesn't look fleshed out. Right now it looks quite foreign, next to the very orthogonal original Landmark Center, the new building currently going up, and the Pierce.
 
12345 said:
www.universalhub.com

Landmark Center owner wants to add more life-sciences space and a Star Market to expansion project

Samuels & Associates yesterday filed plans with the BPDA for a new 13-story building next to the existing Landmark Center that would include 550,000 square feet of lab and related office space and room for a large new Star Market that would replace the current one on Boylston Street. Read more.
www.universalhub.com www.universalhub.com
Click to expand...
Lots of good upcoming work in that notice:
- bike path all the way to Landsdowne
- connection to the Fens, although not sure if it finally snags that last section under the bridge
- Star Market land swap
- FINALLY replacing that eyesore of a gas station
 
"the company expects increased demand to be handled by the greenline and its new cars" -ok give some money to the T then.
 
DZH22 said:
4/28 Core in the back, ignore that garbage project in front of it.

IMG_8555 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_8562 by David Z, on Flickr
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Cool pictures! It's interesting how the narrowed depth of field makes it look like this and a other buildings at the merge of Boylston and Brookline Ave. are right in Kenmore Square. Makes the square area look incredibly dense.
 
HenryAlan said:
Cool pictures! It's interesting how the narrowed depth of field makes it look like this and a other buildings at the merge of Boylston and Brookline Ave. are right in Kenmore Square. Makes the square area look incredibly dense.
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The Boston of today is becoming amazing as it is, no? Isn't the reality better than an optical illusion?
 
HenryAlan said:
Cool pictures! It's interesting how the narrowed depth of field makes it look like this and a other buildings at the merge of Boylston and Brookline Ave. are right in Kenmore Square. Makes the square area look incredibly dense.
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It also shows off an even worse side of Kenmore North, I think. That's how your building faces the river? With a blank, grey wall? Can these architects be criminally charged?
 
Equilibria said:
It also shows off an even worse side of Kenmore North, I think. That's how your building faces the river? With a blank, grey wall? Can these architects be criminally charged?
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Sent me on a google search for what the architect is saying about this. Here's what BU posted on their behalf:

“Our architects, Roger Ferris + Partners, have designed a building that really holds the corner, extending that masonry six-story street wall that you see prevalent across the square,” Provost says.
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I'd love to see them say that with a straight face. I suppose they aren't lying though. You will see this prevalent across the square.


Back to this, I was hoping that curve/bulge massing would grow on me. So far, it's not... Hopefully the BCDC can push some actual good change here. (Can't say that with a straight face...)
 
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