Constellation Center | 43 Thorndike St | East Cambridge

He can't find an architectural firm that wants this? In the midst of a horrifyingly deep economic downturn? And he's going to try and start his own to get this done?

This is doomed.
 
Tell him to come talk to me ... unless he is proposing to put babies on spikes ... we will be happy to consult with him. :)

cca
 
Yeah ..that is exactly the line at which we turn down work. Impaled Infants.

cca
 
The BRA would force you to dumb the project down and use impaled adults anyway.
 
That interview wasn't very encouraging. I got the impression that this guy really doesn't have a clue how to get this project built.

What makes this so unfortunate are the decisions that have been made based on the assumption that Constellation Center was a sure thing -- the article mentions that this project contributed to the Gaiety's demolition and led MIT to defer from building its own potentially redundant venues. It's also quite sad to see so many good institutions and organizations hinging their futures on what seems to be a single man's unrealistic fantasy.

Following this project's lack of progress has also made me appreciate how lucky we are that the ICA was selected over this project to build on the Fan Pier culture parcel.

That said, I really do hope he ultimately pulls this off. If it turns out even half as good as he's been promising, it could single-handedly transform Kendall Square overnight.
 
I'm a trustee with an organization that has expressed interest in performing at Constellation. It's my unofficial position that Mr. NicKrehm is an utter loon.
 
Yea I remembered reading about a year ago about how they were drilling into the soil to examine it for its accoustic properties and that seemed like a crock to me.
 
Now that construction's done at 650 E. Kendall, the site is prepped to lay fallow for a while...

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still alive

Looks like the project is still alive.

We are pleased to announce ConstellationCenter?s Temporary Public Art Installation. The upcoming installation will be located on our future site at Kendall and Athenaeum Streets in Cambridge, and is scheduled to open in June 2010.

A jury of eminent public art experts has selected the following six works by New England artists for display:

Anne Alexander: Sprouting Growth
Lisa Greenfield: House of Cards
Ann Jon: Arch III
Andy Moerlein: Finding Fault
Rachel Newsam and Vaclav Sipla: Sine
Obie Simonis: Heaven & Earth
The installation will remain on the site for six months. After that, we are planning to continue the installation with other selected or commissioned works, or with architectural elements designed for the Center.
Click to expand...
http://www.constellationcenter.org//publicart/index.htm

http://www.constellationcenter.org//pdf/public_art/public_art_2010-04-20.pdf
 
I can't wait for this thing to be built. Probably won't be for a while, but when she comes Kendall sq will permanantly change for the better. Between that, the maturity of a residential poplulation, and a large hotel (often containing people looking to have a drink) night life will integrate into this otherwise suburban office park.
 
Definitely still alive, but also definitely still in the acoustical-research stage. They had an open house during the Cambridge Science Festival last week.

The current plan is to build five halls in one building, rather than the originally announced four.
 
With all the time it seems they've spent on acoustic research (or maybe it's just perceived time), this place better be an unreal place to hear music. Definitely something I'm excited about, especially if the effects are something along the lines of what GW2500 suggested.
 
I'd say man figured out good accoustics for a room a long time ago. I think this is a case of trying to get money to build it and the fund raising is a slow process.
 
^Right on, man. Acoustics, being scientific, takes as long as mathematical calculations. Beyond that, you're getting into voodoo.
 
I wonder if they've looked into a partnership with Bose for fundraising activities? Seems like it would be a logical sponsor. The Bose Constellation Center? Or maybe reaching out to MIT to create a joint center, and take advantage of the technical innovations that would surely benefit the performances.
 
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