BU Data Sciences Center | 665 Commonwealth Avenue | BU Central

Charlie_mta said:
Deliberate ugliness would seem to be what the architects of this building were striving for, and they certainly succeeded. Not to wax too philosophical here, but this trend of deliberate ugliness, IMO, comes from a loss of hope and a despair over the decline of civilization. At least that's the statement this awful building conveys.
Click to expand...
Deliberate ugliness is a long-standing BU tradition: the cement Gothic block, the Sert complex, Warren Towers etc. It is rare to see such a continuity of (bad) design in one area.
 
This building walks a fine line between being ugly or being exciting, eliciting either strong love or strong hate, or maybe even both feelings simultaneously. I can see the exciting and innovative piece of this, the admiration for something different and bold. I get that. I just think it goes a bit too far that way.
 
Charlie_mta said:
This building walks a fine line between being ugly or being exciting, eliciting either strong love or strong hate, or maybe even both feelings simultaneously. I can see the exciting and innovative piece of this, the admiration for something different and bold. I get that. I just think it goes a bit too far that way.
Click to expand...

I respect the building, am glad to have it on our skyline, but the thought that's always been on my mind regarding this design is "trying too hard"
 
It definitely brings out emotion in people one way or the other and I think thats good to have in Boston for once. It seems split 50/50 on people who like it and people who dislike it and thats about what youd expect with a bold and different design.

I personally like it and think that they did the stack of books design the right way, but I get why some people find the look off putting. It has a very prominent place on the skyline now and Im confident that in time its going to be seen as a recognizable part of Boston for the millions of locals, tourists, and students who will see the building over the years.

With a 1 dalton they played it safe and the vast majority of people like it, but its nothing really different or place making. I feel like with a building as bold as this its going to really stand out as one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city over time and give the extended kenmore area a recognizable cluster with the other buildings going up nearby in the future.
 
more than half the city hated JHT when it went up. while i wouldn't put this on par with that development in terms of design excellence, i think the haters will come around in similar fashion. it's a weird thing to observe here on aB -- much of the board bitches about boston's conservative, staid, take-no-chances architecture, but whenever some proposal (or, more rarely, actual construction) actually does take chances, then it's time to clutch the 'ol pearls and take shots at anything that dares to be more than anonymous and unassuming.
 
chrisbrat said:
more than half the city hated JHT when it went up. while i wouldn't put this on par with that development in terms of design excellence, i think the haters will come around in similar fashion. it's a weird thing to observe here on aB -- much of the board bitches about boston's conservative, staid, take-no-chances architecture, but whenever some proposal (or, more rarely, actual construction) actually does take chances, then it's time to clutch the 'ol pearls and take shots at anything that dares to be more than anonymous and unassuming.
Click to expand...
Boston City Hall was daring when constructed. It was loved then and now it is maligned.
 
I think we can all agree that we wouldn't want a city-defining building on par with the Hancock or Pru to look like this. At 700'+ it would be the most hated structure in New England. At ~300' (about 80th tallest) it can be both appreciated while simultaneously mostly ignored. It's a cool oddity for its location and has a couple strong angles in the skyline, but is otherwise "off to the side" so to speak.

Honestly, I think it's the perfect height and type of location (secondary/tertiary neighborhood skylines) where I'd like to see more bold out-of-the-box designs. I'd rather go safer and classier at the top level, but go down a few rungs and let's get weird with it! This is a good addition and would go really well with that Kenmore "drippy" hotel if that one ever gets built.
 
DZH22 said:
I think we can all agree that we wouldn't want a city-defining building on par with the Hancock or Pru to look like this. At 700'+ it would be the most hated structure in New England. At ~300' (about 80th tallest) it can be both appreciated while simultaneously mostly ignored. It's a cool oddity for its location and has a couple strong angles in the skyline, but is otherwise "off to the side" so to speak.

Honestly, I think it's the perfect height and type of location (secondary/tertiary neighborhood skylines) where I'd like to see more bold out-of-the-box designs. I'd rather go safer and classier at the top level, but go down a few rungs and let's get weird with it! This is a good addition and would go really well with that Kenmore "drippy" hotel if that one ever gets built.
Click to expand...

I don't see it as being off to the side at all, but rather commanding a very prominent spot. As noted by others, if the neighborhood is allowed to grow up around it this mid-rise will fade in a bit, I won't argue there, but it'll still stick out as funky/clunky to me. It's confusing and rather displeasing to look at.
 
52067982430_d284e3fd80_k.jpg


52067725584_b502c4ade6_k.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top