Boston Properties Office Tower | 888 Boylston Street | Back Bay

Bubbybu said:
I don't get this building. It's decent but it's so out of place for this long boulevard. Everything else is so finely balanced to convey 'Boston' in their designs. Even the structures with a lot of glass like 395 and 699 Boylston are all broken up into sections, with some parts traditional and others more sleek.

The Apple Store doesn't have any traditional elements but it's so minimal and open, it's harmless. But this is like a giant monotonous wall of heavy glass. I almost wish it would have tried to fit in with the Mandarin.

Hopefully the ground level is nicely done, but it's still not going to fit. Even the old Prudential Mall style style would have been better.
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I like it. Sometimes you need something that doesnt perfectly match everything else around it to make things visually interesting. Also anything that draws your eye away from the horrendous red brutalist condo towers is a win. If you think this doesnt match wait till parcel 12, 14, and 15 are built. Also this is no Hancock, but when that was built it didnt fit in and people hated it, now it wouldnt be Boston without it.
 
I'm not much of a fan of the design, massing, and positioning relative to the street of this - I think it looks odd, misplaced, and strangely scaled. But that's just a matter of opinion. I think what will be rather transformational about this will be the ground level plaza:

Gensler_888Tower_v01_Dusk_A05-1440x768.jpg


If we get that, I don't think too many people will be looking up.
 
Yeah, I'll agree that I really like it too, especially how they'll be transforming a windswept plaza into something considerably less despotic.

I'll also repeat my taste for tasteful incongruity as I did with the new Hancock. The contrast of glass in modern buildings against the heavy stone, brick, and precast is welcome. I love seeing that contrast whenever I go back to visit New York City, but maybe it's only pleasant to me as a lay person.
 
Shepard said:
I'm not much of a fan of the design, massing, and positioning relative to the street of this - I think it looks odd, misplaced, and strangely scaled. But that's just a matter of opinion. I think what will be rather transformational about this will be the ground level plaza:
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I'm just hoping they bring this guy back and make him a centerpiece of the new plaza:

http://www.publicartboston.com/content/quest-eternal

images
 
Shepard said:
I'm not much of a fan of the design, massing, and positioning relative to the street of this - I think it looks odd, misplaced, and strangely scaled. But that's just a matter of opinion. I think what will be rather transformational about this will be the ground level plaza:

Gensler_888Tower_v01_Dusk_A05-1440x768.jpg


If we get that, I don't think too many people will be looking up.
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Something tells me that when this is done, it will not look nearly as bright and well lit as the render does.
 
thats almost too bright so thats not a bad thing.
 
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The brightness is definitely for dramatic effect and also a product of them intentionally not lighting the surrounding streetscape in this rendering to highlight their building.

The old plaza definitely felt it was lit at least as brightly as this, but instead with harsh yellow tungsten light bulbs like some mall parking lot. Boylston Street itself is pretty well-lit at night.

Also, not sure if anyone picked up on those light fixtures and the mini-spotlights they seem to be casting... Are we getting some sort of dynamic light show a la EPCOT Future World pavilion? I'm certainly not opposed to it; just nice to see architects getting playful with the streetscape.
 
^^^Hard not to pick up on stage lighting. Capron?
The lighting is what makes the rendering interesting, not so much the architecture. Wonder if it will be delivered?
 
Awhile back I forget in what thread someone posted who the landscape architect for this project is and I believe there is supposed to be dynamic lighting.
 
I love the lighting and sure hope what's in the renderings is what's actually applied!
 
Gave 888 a go in Minecraft- your photos helped make this possible, so thank you.

 
DigitalSciGuy said:
...The old plaza definitely felt it was lit at least as brightly as this, but instead with harsh yellow tungsten light bulbs like some mall parking lot. Boylston Street itself is pretty well-lit at night.
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DigitalSciGuy-- The Harsh yellow was not tungsten -- it was from Low Pressure Sodium Vapour discharge lighting
Na-light.jpg


Tungsten always gives you a mellow yellow characteristic of a hot piece of wire glowing -- emitting a lot of its energy as IR [heat] and hence not very effecient

The harsh yellow light -- very effecient -- But very hard to look at because almost all of the light came from two very bright Sodium D lines -- which are guess what -- Yellow


Newer street & highway fixtures went to High Pressure Sodium discharge lighting where the lighting energy is distributed to much more of the visible spectrum

Comparison of commercial / street lighting
SO%20SPD's.jpg
 
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