Cambridge Crossing (NorthPoint) | East Cambridge/Charlestown | Cambridge/Boston

BeeLine said:
by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
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That glass façade makes me think I'm seeing double. Squint my eyes a few times but it doesn't go away. Also, the orange indentations are grossly ugly. Then of course the backside of this building looks like a twin of the O'Neill on Causeway Street. The Cambridge Crossing buildings by and large seem to be the dumping ground for every half-ass fad happening in architecture.
 
Charlie_mta said:
That glass façade makes me think I'm seeing double. Squint my eyes a few times but it doesn't go away. Also, the orange indentations are grossly ugly. Then of course the backside of this building looks like a twin of the O'Neill on Causeway Street. The Cambridge Crossing buildings by and large seem to be the dumping ground for every half-ass fad happening in architecture.
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The "orange indentations" are plywood doors for the materials hoist used during construction. They'll soon be replaced by glass.
 
sm89 said:
The "orange indentations" are plywood doors for the materials hoist used during construction. They'll soon be replaced by glass.
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Thanks. That will be an improvement. The motley assortment of quirky buildings in Cambridge Crossing randomly thrown together reminds me a bit of the Star Wars bar, LOL.
cantina.jpg
 
They removed glass from those sections to add the portholes for loading long and oversized materials into the client's space (which don't fit on either of the construction lifts). They crane most of that in on weekends and weekday afternoons.

Charlie_mta said:
That glass façade makes me think I'm seeing double. Squint my eyes a few times but it doesn't go away. Also, the orange indentations are grossly ugly. Then of course the backside of this building looks like a twin of the O'Neill on Causeway Street. The Cambridge Crossing buildings by and large seem to be the dumping ground for every half-ass fad happening in architecture.
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For those of us who have lived here for a significant period of time, the neighborhood stitching feels rather thoughtful, especially with the new retail core (Tatte nearly open!) - and at least w/r/t what is open. That said, ripping up part of Lot T's park in favor of our dog park is an odd choice (but then again, Lot T hasn't been part of CX for some time so it's likely a bit of a thumbing to Prudential).

Charlie_mta said:
Thanks. That will be an improvement. The motley assortment of quirky buildings in Cambridge Crossing randomly thrown together reminds me a bit of the Star Wars bar, LOL.
cantina.jpg
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My wife has no interest in architecture or urban development. We took the young fella to north point park the other day and drove through Cambridge Crossing. She was blown away that all of that was there and really liked it. From the new T station right down to the charles is really coming together.
 
Ruairi said:
My wife has no interest in architecture or urban development. We took the young fella to north point park the other day and drove through Cambridge Crossing. She was blown away that all of that was there and really liked it. From the new T station right down to the charles is really coming together.
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I agree it's great that this development is happening and the area is getting stitched together from a former railroad yard and industrial wasteland. I just wish the architecture were a bit more cohesive from building to building, or at least the different styles of each building not so jarringly loud. That's just me, though. I prefer a bit of understatement.
 
Ruairi said:
My wife has no interest in architecture or urban development. We took the young fella to north point park the other day and drove through Cambridge Crossing. She was blown away that all of that was there and really liked it. From the new T station right down to the charles is really coming together.
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Sounds like my mother. I recommended the Seaport to her and she loved it. Then she had to go to Boston Landing for an event and was impressed with that too!
 
A Chicagoan said:
Sounds like my mother. I recommended the Seaport to her and she loved it. Then she had to go to Boston Landing for an event and was impressed with that too!
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This scales everywhere. The desk jockey from the Valparaiso, IN satellite office who just took the relocation package to Boston loves the massing and architecture around Alewife and thinks Vox On Two is the crème de la crème of urban living that he's ever seen in pictures.

He also can't understand why his cubemate from Davis Sq. just sighs and says "Meh" at random moments while looking wistfully.
 
The B1m did a video about why every new apartment building looks the same and it came down to building code and profit creating 5 over 1s... everywhere, and cheap facade materials that alternate. I read the comments and basically everybody said they have a million of them going up in their city too and they like them, they just wish the walls were thicker. I was surprised but I guess the general consensus of the masses is that the Alewifes of the world are kinda nice.
 
Charlie_mta said:
I agree it's great that this development is happening and the area is getting stitched together from a former railroad yard and industrial wasteland. I just wish the architecture were a bit more cohesive from building to building, or at least the different styles of each building not so jarringly loud. That's just me, though. I prefer a bit of understatement.
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Something like the Riverline development in Chicago is what I'm trying to describe, regarding cohesiveness of the architecture across the buildings in a development. They aren't exactly alike, but they don't clash either:
riverline3.jpg
 
Lamplighter announced (again) today that they're opening here in 2021. They had announced prior to the pandemic looking at fall 2020 and then went silent. I thought it may have been dead. This is exciting and should activate the space a good deal more in warmer weather.
 
Lamplighter Brewery was reconfirmed as a "go" in December, February, and April at our meetings so there wasn't too much concern they wouldn't open (unless someone had been feeding us a line...).

DivCo folks wrapped the lower windows of the building with "we're working in here but won't be done for several months" adverts on Wednesday and the web address they would like you to visit confirms a late 2021 launch.

Curiously, I believe the owner (or project manager) has been onsite with some degree of irregularity. He brings a magnificent Cloud Boi* (such majesty) with him ... they chill on the second level while eating with some work and sliding windows open!

---

* Samoyed


Lrfox said:
Lamplighter announced (again) today that they're opening here in 2021. They had announced prior to the pandemic looking at fall 2020 and then went silent. I thought it may have been dead. This is exciting and should activate the space a good deal more in warmer weather.
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