Cambridge Infill and Small Developments

[stellarfun]

Binney St looks to be done. The purple hasn't faded much.

(Note to administrators: there are 4 or 5 threads with East Cambridge projects, with some intermixing of the projects between threads.)

from March 30:

 

[BarbaricManchurian]

Wow, the glass, especially in the 2nd pic looks nice. The brick seems a bit awkward, but it looks better than all glass anyways.

 

[kz1000ps]

People have derided this one, but I like it in a whoa-look-at-that-trainwreck! sorta way.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

The street level zone of that building is completely lacking but I really dig the curved glass and purple parts.

 

[TheBostonBoy]

Wow that curved glass is awesome. I just like the fact that this is one of those buildings that people will walk by and stare at for a few minutes. It is a very interesting design.

 

[Arborway]

What a hideous mishmash of architectural elements.

 

[Ron Newman]

What company was this built for? (I assume it is industrial, not residential)

 

[nedev18]

I think this one looks pretty good. I may be biased because that curved glass looks awesome, IMO, but on the whole I think that it looks pretty good. The street level could use some work (a bit bland), but I think the glass and exposed purple steel make up for that.

 

[ckb]

I think the big building with the purple is bio-tech lab space built on spec.

Note the banner advertising many hundreds of thousands of square feet of available.

Everything about Binney St., with the possible exception of the small yellow residential building next to this one (part of the same overall construction project?), is awful and wrong.

1. This is no place for a boulevard-style road. The traffic doesn't warrant it. The development fronting on the road (I can't even call it a street) reflects the suburban office-park tone set by the road.

2. The structure at the corner of 3rd and Binney has some commercial space that has been unleased since it was built - at least 3 or 4 years ago. Perhaps the new residential developments on 3rd will trigger something to go in here ...

3. The sweeping corner with Fulkerson St. is ridiculous. The nothingness of grass (it couldn't possibly be called a park ... and as open space it is a wasteland) only amplifies the problem. The new building "responds" with an equally preposterous curve at the "front door" (the ONLY door facing the street!)

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I was very surprised by the Cambridge developments I saw because they were all so nice. Always, [urhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/vanshnookenraggen/sets/72157604651028577/]big here[/url].

First the new luxury housing which I think is smashing and will really help liven up the area. This is the back so you can't see the street level (I didn't get around to that unfortunately.)

Everyone's favorite new building!

And somehow there is no thread for this beauty. A new police station across the street from the last building.

 

[TheBostonBoy]

Wow, Cambridge amazes me....this architecture is just stunning. I love the use of different colors used in all these buildings. Boston should really look to Cambridge as an example for architecture, except with a little more height.

 

[czsz]

Does Cambridge have higher design standards than Boston? It wouldn't surprise me...all my dealings with Cambridge City Hall are so effortless compared to Boston.

 

[kz1000ps]

Here's the Cambridge Public Library project. They're renovating the historic structure, as well as building a three-story addition and putting in a large parking garage under the front lawn.

--

Next, the Performing Arts Center in southern Central Square, starting with its ugly little backside

the front entrance

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Just across the street from the PAC is construction on the triangular traffic island at the intersections of Main St and Mass Ave. By the looks of things it'll be pretty nice

 

[unterbau]

KZ, are you sure that the CPL is actually a Richardson building? For some reason I thought it wasn't.

 

[kz1000ps]

You're right; it was instead designed by the firm Van Brunt and Howe. They sure did get the Richardson look down pat.

 

[Arborway]

I love that library addition. It shows you can use prefab exterior materials and still end up with an interesting, non-cheap-looking structure. You just have to use more than the same three or four rehashed paneling types.

 

[Ron Newman]

I don't see any "exterior materials" in the library addition at all yet -- just a frame.

 

[Arborway]

I don't see any "exterior materials" in the library addition at all yet -- just a frame.

Oops, I meant to say the Performing Arts Center.

 

[kz1000ps]

CPL images:

 

[Arborway]

I hope that interior has some color to it. Shockingly bright white is annoying after a while.