American Repertory Theater | 175 North Harvard Street | Allston

Equilibria

Equilibria

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IMP: https://bpda.app.box.com/s/10x5hfd43x6dp92pncbqikfhyne2p9te

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I'm sure this will be a wonderful, state of the art facility. But half of the enjoyment most find in attending a show at the current ART is that it's an evening out in Harvard Square. Where is the restaurant/wine bar/cafe infrastructure in Barry's Corner to support the theater going experience?
 
It’s a nice design, but like all new construction it loses something compared to a building that has been in context for a long time. Get back to me when the greenery is large enough to soften the stark geometry of the building, like it does with the current location in Harvard Square.
 
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HenryAlan said:
I'm sure this will be a wonderful, state of the art facility. But half of the enjoyment most find in attending a show at the current ART is that it's an evening out in Harvard Square. Where is the restaurant/wine bar/cafe infrastructure in Barry's Corner to support the theater going experience?
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Beyond what I'm sure Harvard is hoping is catalyzed by their own development, the Western Avenue corridor is heading in that direction.
 
FYI as per the IMPNF:

The housing component is:
"Affiliate Housing Component: An approximately 276,000 sf residential building with approximately 264 housing units for Harvard graduate students, faculty, staff, and their families, amenity space for building residents, and approximately 75 parking spaces in a below grade garage."
 
RandomWalk said:
It’s a nice design, but like all new construction it loses something compared to a building that has been in context for a long time. Get back to me when the greenery is large enough to soften the stark geometry of the building, like it does with the current location in Harvard Square.
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Respectfully disagree--the housing seems fine but the theater is really under developed. It looks like they are trying to make an old building. It's really disappointing given how great the ART facility in Harvard Square is.
 
HenryAlan said:
I'm sure this will be a wonderful, state of the art facility. But half of the enjoyment most find in attending a show at the current ART is that it's an evening out in Harvard Square. Where is the restaurant/wine bar/cafe infrastructure in Barry's Corner to support the theater going experience?
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Agreed. It’s a huge downgrade for the theater at least in terms of location.
 
Harvard had a couple of good centuries but they really can’t build anything anymore. It’s time to take the keys away. They should be put into some kind of architectural conservatorship: Let Northeastern, Emerson, or even Suffolk or Wentworth make these kind of planning and architectural decisions.
 
They chose to cover the blank brick expanse with giant font “COMMUNITY RESEARCH PERFORMANCE” because they forgot how to design with subtext, and with regular text, so they’re just left with supertext.
 
Wouldn’t surprise me if Harvard moves a museum or two over there someday. They tried to build 2 art museums on the Charles years ago
 
Love how they think 264 units is really going to move the needle on faculty, grad student, and staff housing needs. Need another zero or two
 
It's also a fact that right now, Saturday morning at almost 10 oclock, it is 24 minutes from Neponset Car Wash to this theater nd 20 minutes from Stoneham. MA via GPS. Perhaps more people will have easier access to this theater than the old one because you can still get to it by the T
 
Scott said:
It's also a fact that right now, Saturday morning at almost 10 oclock, it is 24 minutes from Neponset Car Wash to this theater nd 20 minutes from Stoneham. MA via GPS. Perhaps more people will have easier access to this theater than the old one because you can still get to it by the T
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What T gets you to Barry’s Corner?
 
The bus that takes 16 min or walk takes 19. This is not moving the theater to Nebraska. Being next to the Pike is good for the theater and people who don't live near the T, are elderly or disabled. Yes it makes it a little tougher for people who currently have good T access but it may actually look good in 20 years when this place is fleshed out
 
stick n move said:
Another render

View attachment 31380

https://www.universalhub.com/2022/barrys-corner-allston-could-get-harvard-square-ier
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This is truly awful - - -a brick fortress?????? This looks like a low income community center from the 1970's.

The SEC building (which is shockingly outclassed by the Northeastern ISEC and EXP) was, I thought, a one-off swing and miss and I was going to give Harvard at least the benefit of the doubt that it was just one mistake. But with THIS? I have to agree with KingVibe in post #8 - - it's time to take away the keys. Harvard is beginning to do serious damage to the aesthetic of the city if left to their own rampaging incompetence.
 
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