[ARCHIVED] Harbor Garage Redevelopment | 70 East India Row | Waterfront | Downtown

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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

I think the height depicted on that model looks great, but it sort of creates a valley between it and downtown. Which of course should be filled with even taller buildings:D
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

To me, the width of the towers looks better in context. They really are massive, though, any way you slice it.

Aesthetically, I would prefer that the positions of the towers were swapped, as it would create some great symmetry between this complex and IP.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

^I think the idea is to keep the residential tower closest to Harbor Towers, although the symmetrical concept would be very nice.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Downburst said:
To me, the width of the towers looks better in context. They really are massive, though, any way you slice it.

Aesthetically, I would prefer that the positions of the towers were swapped, as it would create some great symmetry between this complex and IP.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but they're still pretty beefy. The taller one looks like it's going to eat the Harbor Towers...
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

If Chiofaro builds these buildings these are going to look Awesome for the Greenway.

I actually wish they were HIGHER.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Harbor Towers in my opinion belongs near Storrow Drive or the North Station Area.

The Greenway should represent excellence for the city. I am not a hater of Harbor Towers but the Architecture looks more like affordable housing for inner city living for lower income individuals.

A 3rd rate tower for a first class city.
 
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Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Higher and skinnier. They are fatties. When in context they show how slim the HT's are in comparison.

I understand the FAA restrictions and ROI, but a boy can dream.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

The massing is similar to International Place and the world didn't end when they were built (they sure look dated though). I'd guess the square footage is around the same too.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Is this technically a serious proposal yet? Has Chiofaro filed the necessary paperwork or is this another publicity driven song-and-dance like the last 2 designs?

This is my favorite of his waterfront visions. I wish the taller tower was closer to 650' but the FAA guidelines seem pretty strict.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

The Harbor Towers should be recladded or something, maybe add new decorative tops and improve the street level presence. In plain terms, as they are they suck.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Buildings like this dot cities of the world, however ... I can think of similar structures in Philly, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Cinci, Seattle - even in gleaming Charlotte - that mar the local skylines. Even Shanghai's Oriental Pearl building (think: Capsela) is not without its critics ("relic")!
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Brad Plaid said:
The massing is similar to International Place and the world didn't end when they were built (they sure look dated though). I'd guess the square footage is around the same too.
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IP has aged Well in my opinion

If Chiofaro Towers get built the Greenway is going to change in a drastic way.
Whichever Corporation becomes the majority tenant in this building will have a major influence in evolving the Greenway into a certain atmosphere.
This could get interesting--Especially knowing the Blue-line is connected to HarborSquare Tower
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

Brad Plaid said:
The massing is similar to International Place and the world didn't end when they were built (they sure look dated though). I'd guess the square footage is around the same too.
Click to expand...
IP is 1.8 million sq ft, 500,000 sq ft more than the proposed Harbor Garage towers.

May be about <500,000 sq ft of vacant space at IP, though I am sure a poster here will call Don, and then report that the number is wrong.
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

stellarfun said:
IP is 1.8 million sq ft, 500,000 sq ft more than the proposed Harbor Garage towers.
Click to expand...

IP also has the ~28 floor middle section between the 2 round towers, plus a couple other lower sections that should easily be enough to make up that difference.

The 2 lower rise sections are very visible in this picture (with the aforementioned ~28 floor section barely peaking through)

http://m9.i.pbase.com/o4/19/291919/1/62867329.BIVS7EtI.IMG_9015.jpg
 
Re: The Boston Arch (Aquarium parking garage)

DZH22 said:
Is this technically a serious proposal yet? Has Chiofaro filed the necessary paperwork or is this another publicity driven song-and-dance like the last 2 designs?

This is my favorite of his waterfront visions. I wish the taller tower was closer to 650' but the FAA guidelines seem pretty strict.
Click to expand...

The project has not been filed for approval at the BRA, nor has it been filed for State approval.

Responsibility for each of these repeated "songs-and-dances" rests with the BRA. The BRA has been using single projects (and respective developers) to drive the drafting of entire Municipal Harbor Plans. The MHP is a process made available to individual municipalities by the Commonwealth to customize their waterfronts for (in Boston's case) particularly urban needs.

But the BRA doesn't draft MHP's in advance of development, they have been reactive to proposals and the proposals drive the MHP process.

In this regard, the BRA had the Pritzker's (Fan Pier proposal) drive the South Boston Municipal Harbor Planning process and yet another Municipal Harbor Plan was driven by the Atlantic Wharf project. So Boston now has multiple Municipal Harbor Plans (and respective multi-year processes) for arguably the same waterfront.

Once the BRA files the Downtown MHP, the Commonwealth must approve it (probably early 2015). Then Chiofaro has to begin his project approval process, with a filing at the State and BRA.

It is because of this insane dance that Chiofaro can't publish actual architectural renderings. He must first secure the desired massing through the MHP process before moving forward. As I understand, he is committed to KPF so we can expect a KPF design.

And because the BRA waited for individual projects to drive the MHP process rather than completing them in advance, critical district-wide aspects of the Municipal Harbor Plan are completely overlooked. The public conversation always focuses on conceptual buildings that may or may not resemble the final design.
 
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