Avalon Exeter | 77 Exeter Street | Back Bay

[Ron Newman]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Having to walk through the mall made it completely not worth it as the boylston arcade is particularly cramped and overcrowded.

I was thinking the same thing -- without the courtyard and terrace, the only way into the food court is the narrow escalator from Bolyston Street into the mall. If I were a food court vendor, I'd be concerned about loss of warm-weather customers.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I'm pretty sure the base of the proposed 888 Boylston is supposed to be some sort of atrium/extension of the mall.

 

[bbfen]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

The Newbury Extension Arcade. lol

 

[kmp1284]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

The cogs are winding in my head now (if it isn't obvious from this post, I miss designing in studio)... what if 888 were to be significantly thinned, creating an interior courtyard? It would be built out to the street and be about as wide as the Mandarin. That would leave an interesting courtyard as residual space, a little more private than what exists now.

It would also produce a slender glass tower.

There's a reason Boston doesn't have any slender glass towers, in very few cases do they make financial sense.

 

[AdamBC]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I'm pretty sure the base of the proposed 888 Boylston is supposed to be some sort of atrium/extension of the mall.

I believe people were talking about a Nordstroms going in on the bottom 2/3 floors.

 

[Rick]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Just a little closer look:

 

[underground]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Actually, it might be kinda cool if they could pull the food court out into the new building, and design it to flow out onto the street. Put in some rolling glass doors and benches for a little indoor/outdoor . I mean, "cool" as in "as cool as a food court could be." Seems like they might be hinting at it in the render.

 

[kennedy]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Actually, it might be kinda cool if they could pull the food court out into the new building, and design it to flow out onto the street. Put in some rolling glass doors and benches for a little indoor/outdoor. I mean, "cool" as in "as cool as a food court could be." Seems like they might be hinting at it in the render.

I like this idea. Imagine if they allowed food trucks or carts to park in the small plaza out front. Could end up being a very lively urban space, especially around lunchtime. Not only that, but the business folk working nearby would have much better options.

 

[Arborway]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

For those too lazy to click a link like I usually am...

I'd prefer it without the bulging front facade. It's just not flattering and kinda overdone at this point.

But I guess it will serve as hermetic seal of office park blandness between the Mandarin Oriental and the stale PoMo of the Convention Center.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

^ Stale PoMo perhaps, but considering how most convention centers look like cheap Alucobond and/or precast warehouses I'd say the Hynes is doing just fine.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

+1. I appreciate the Hines for it's unabashed PoMo-ness.

 

[Arborway]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

^ Stale PoMo perhaps, but considering how most convention centers look like cheap Alucobond and/or precast warehouses I'd say the Hynes is doing just fine.

Yeah, I almost forgot about The BCEC...

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

+1. I appreciate the Hines for it's unabashed PoMo-ness.

It is unabashedly PoMo, but at the same time it's rather subdued for its era and manages to fit in to the Back Bay landscape quite well, aesthetically speaking. The view down Gloucester is not hurt by it, IMO.

 

[kennedy]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I'm not so sure. Maybe it's my predisposed hatred of PoMo, but I really don't like the Hynes. Wish they'd give it a facadectomy. Could be interesting as a Romanesque revival project, with those monumental arches.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

It is unabashedly PoMo, but at the same time it's rather subdued for its era and manages to fit in to the Back Bay landscape quite well, aesthetically speaking. The view down Gloucester is not hurt by it, IMO.

Yes. There's no silly "hat" hanging over Boylston or anything. I always assumed that was because it got it's POMO face job over a 1960's construction.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

The real thing I can't wait to see wiped away is the "festival marketplace" stupidity of the '90s mall/arcade system, and to that end I can't wait for the Boylston entrance to be completely done over in glass -- even if it's ho-hum glass.

You -- adios

Can I also say I find it weird how the pale pink precast looks like it hasn't aged a day? It's as flat and flimsy looking as ever.

 

[briv]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

The Hynes was pretty much totally rebuilt in the late 80's by Kallmann, McKinnell and Wood (the original building looked essentially like a space-aged bowling alley). I guess its skin makes it inarguably PoMo, but also present is a definite riff on Erik Gunnar Aspland's early 20th century Scandinavian Modernism, namely his Stockholm Public Library. It may fall short, especially considering the huge area of the Hynes, but it's admirable nonetheless. They tried to inbue what is essentially a big warehouse with some sense of architectural dignity.

Stockholm Public Library:

Hynes Main Entrance:

That said, I don't know how long the Hynes will be with us. The BCEC has made it extraneous at this point, even though the Back Bay offers a richer convention experience than the Seaport. But the Hynes' exhibition space is extremely dumpy as well and I don't see the state throwing any more money into updating the facility. In the years to come I wouldn't be surprised to see a super-tall or two proposed here.

 

[Shepard]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

I've heard that Hynes bookings have gone up since BCEC and that the promotion efforts are focused on mid sized conferences, mostly medical/scientific. I'm quite sure that's become the niche.

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

the "festival marketplace" stupidity of the '90s mall/arcade system

Not sure what you are objecting to here? If you ever tried to use the original outdoor Pru shopping area before it was enclosed as a mall, you would not want to go back to it.

That said, the Boylston mall entrance is too small for the purpose it is serving.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: New Tower(s) Planned For Prudential Center

Yeah, I don't see the Hynes going anywhere. It has the best location you could possibly EVER have. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the most centrally-located convention center of any city in the country. BCEC is a gorgeous facility, but it's near absolutely nothing. I hate how shows like PAX East leave all these kids that fly into Boston to go to it with the impression that "Boston" is the dead Seaport and BCEC. It's not....

There's also a reason why CollegeFest is held at the Hynes and not the BCEC too... starts with L... ;-)