Cambridge Infill and Small Developments

EF peeking up from the Esplanade:

8747972677_815890372b_b.jpg
 
datadyne007 said:
It was 1964... brutalism was in full swing. It was the future. Sert's legacy lives on actually in Northeastern's International Village which employs the same operable colored ventilation panels.
Click to expand...

It's amazing to me how an architectural movement that claimed to be about "the future" became so dated so quickly. The name didn't exactly help things, talk about a PR blunder! I'm fascinated by brutalism in general but as architecture I think it only works on larger scales and in more natural settings. It's also way overdone on college campuses and government buildings and in general makes for bad urbanism.

I do appreciate how Peabody Terrace looks on the skyline though, it's relative isolation gives it a sculptural feel (similar to the Hancock). The ground level, meh. Never lived there or been inside so can't comment on how that works (or doesn't). In general I appreciate all the noteworthy modern architecture in Cambridge. I don't think a lot of it works as it was probably intended but it kinda makes the city into a living museum with a minimal hit to urban vibrancy. It certainly doesn't create any black holes on the level of the Govt Center plaza.
 
pixelsand8 said:
It's amazing to me how an architectural movement that claimed to be about "the future" became so dated so quickly. The name didn't exactly help things, talk about a PR blunder!
Click to expand...

I always thought Brutalism was a plot by Soviet-sympathetic architects to destroy American cities and dishearten Americans using oppressive buildings copied from the Communist regime.
 
Smartiro said:
I've been inside - dark and dreary.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the main problem/complaint with the buildings. It is very stark and cold inside them. The theory behind the layout of the building is brilliant, but the interior finishes sadly overshadow that theory. I would like to see a building designed like this again, but with modern finishes and see how it holds up. It's a great urban experiment.
 
datadyne007 said:
Yeah, that's the main problem/complaint with the buildings. It is very stark and cold inside them. The theory behind the layout of the building is brilliant, but the interior finishes sadly overshadow that theory. I would like to see a building designed like this again, but with modern finishes and see how it holds up. It's a great urban experiment.
Click to expand...

It's not just finishes - it's cavernous spaces, lack of natural light, weird circulation.
Lets just say that a friend of mine who was a grad student at Harvard and is from former Soviet Union mentioned that this was the worst apartment he's been to in his life.
 
I stayed in the hotel across the street from the Morris Mechanic theater last week. There's a Brutalist tower adjacent to it, and a plaza with a fountain.

Completely deserted of course.
 
"BRUTALISM FUCK YEAH!" sounds like the title of a cheesy BSDM porno.

Anyway today I broke the cardinal rule of Boston weekend driving in nice weather - AVOID STORROW OR ANY FEEDER ROAD NEARBY LIKE THE PLAGUE. There is a 90% chance they will of closed of a lane for handicapped parking for a Hatch Shell event and give no reasonable warnings whatsoever, thus it will be gridlocked. I should just plaster this on my door every time I leave my house because it's just one of those things that doesn't occur to you, probably cause the idea to close the lane is so ludicrous to begin with. I always end up stuck in the trap.

On the plus side, I got a cool shot of the EF building. Car shots while driving are dangerous and they turn out crappy but not today!

 
Matthew said:
I always thought Brutalism was a plot by Soviet-sympathetic architects to destroy American cities and dishearten Americans using oppressive buildings copied from the Communist regime.
Click to expand...

That's been the plan for a while I thought.

“We can’t expect the American people to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have communism.”—Nikita Kruschev
 
Why would anyone buy an apartment just feet from a roaring highway?

Why didnt Ned put a stop to this?
 
jass said:
Why would anyone buy an apartment just feet from a roaring highway?
Click to expand...

Because it's in Cambridge and near a t-stop (sorta) and there are people who will pay to live in a dumpster if it meets those two criteria (almost).
 
jass said:
Why would anyone buy an apartment just feet from a roaring highway?

Why didnt Ned put a stop to this?
Click to expand...

207_not_sure_if_serious.jpg


If srs -- people will buy apartments anywhere in this metro-area right now. There is such a housing crunch. This location has access to Rt 2 and Alewife. A commuter's paradise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top