Four Seasons Tower @ CSC | 1 Dalton Street | Back Bay

Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

choo said:
I know they serve a purpose. Especially in cold places like Calgary and Minneapolis. Toronto has a whole city the size of Boston underground it seems. But other than that, I feel like they look very antiseptic and make the building have an insular focus. I would much rather a focus on good street level interaction, even if it is outside in the cold.
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Choo -- while walking in the park in Lexington yesterday -- i finally realized the reason I like Gerbil Tubes -- its the MIT as great Gerbil Condo effect

You can spend many many hours walking inside MIT without retracing your steps (accept passing through the same node) -- the combination of hallways at different levels (a 3rd matches either a 2nd or a 4th in another generation of building), a handful of real above ground gerbil tubes, and a bunch of mole tubes (tunnels) -- gives the MIT student a unique perspective on the built environment -- not exactly intended by Bosworth or even McLaurin

I guess then when we venture out into the real world - we seek the comfort of tubes and tunnels -- especially in unpleasant weather
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

The reason why the pedestrian connector "works" so well between Pru and Copley Place is because the street level experience is terrible.

That's not the case at the FCCS plot. It's not great there, but there is activity and foot traffic flowing from the Sheraton, the fountain, and the Berklee School up the street.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

bbfen said:
The reason why the pedestrian connector "works" so well between Pru and Copley Place is because the street level experience is terrible.

That's not the case at the FCCS plot. It's not great there, but there is activity and foot traffic flowing from the Sheraton, the fountain, and the Berklee School up the street.
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bbf -- No the principle reason that the Pru/Copley and lesser extent the Westin / Copley is that the bridge works despite the weather -- too cold, too hot, snowy, rainy -- face it the number of days when its pleasant is somewhat limited

and further that it offers "visitors" an easy and safe way to get from here (primary == a hotel room; or lesser parking garage space) to there: (Hynes; shopping; food; office)
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

whighlander said:
bbf -- No the principle reason that the Pru/Copley and lesser extent the Westin / Copley is that the bridge works despite the weather -- too cold, too hot, snowy, rainy -- face it the number of days when its pleasant is somewhat limited
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Nonsense. That exact same weather exists on Newbury St, the North End, etc but you don't see gerbil tubes crisscrossing those areas.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

statler said:
Nonsense. That exact same weather exists on Newbury St, the North End, etc but you don't see gerbil tubes crisscrossing those areas.
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Stat -- you missed the point

Westin, Marriott, Sheraton -- that's potentially 3000 + people who are in Boston because of something happening at the Hynes

if you throw in a thousand or so locals who are parking in the garage or may even arrive as I have by T -- you might have 5,000 people who are inside the Hynes and may want lunch, pick-up something for the little woman or man at home, desperately need some batteries for an exhibit, what-ever

Now its a typical mid-February day -- do you want to go back to your hotel room, put on a parka and perhaps boots and slog a couple of blocks using some crappy map -- or do you want to stroll casually through the shops at Pru and Copley to your destination and then back in-time for the afternoon keynote

That's why it works and makes sense in only two places the Pru-Hynes-Copley and the BCEC-Westin-Seaport -- Waterside Place

That's why it exists in a place such as Louisville where my challenge was to find some batteries for my camera on a brutally hot day in mid June 2010 -- 2 Gerbil Tubes later i had my batteries and some barbecue and I was back for the afternoon sessions
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

This kind of indoor interconnection makes a lot of sense in Minneapolis, and some sense here (see MIT for another good example, and also Northeastern University to some extent), but none at all in Kentucky or further south.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

It works great down in providence too. I was surprised how far you could stay inside there much like the pru. It works well when your in a conference and don't want to carry your jacket everywhere
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Ron Newman said:
This kind of indoor interconnection makes a lot of sense in Minneapolis, and some sense here (see MIT for another good example, and also Northeastern University to some extent), but none at all in Kentucky or further south.
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Ron -- surely you jest

Ron -- the so-called Desert Equivalent temperature was 113 that afternoon in Louisville with the physical temperature nearly 100.

I think there are plenty of places such as Houston and New Orleans where I've visited where the connection between buildings is almost a necessity because of the hot weather

I have two sister-in-laws who live in the Houston area -- each morning each of them leave their suburban air conditioned homes through their garages and enter their air conditioned cars. They then drive for about 30 minutes -- one into Houston the other one on loop I610 and arrive at their parking garage under the building and take the garage elevator which is only partially air conditioned to the lobby of the office complex. One works in a tower in a Pru-like complex. The other one works in a 3 story low rise. After they arrive in their respective offices they both complain that they feel like they should take a shower -- high humidity and hot temperature in the morning. In the evening the process is worse because the car is hot and the outside temperature is very hot with still high humidity - so even when they get home they are hot until the place cools for an hour or so. I hear both of these stories at least weekly as my wife tells them how cool we are each evening and then one or both of my wife's sisters complains about having to mow in February.

I lived in Austin for a decade and while it hardly was as bad as Houston (hot & humid) or Dallas (hotter and less humid) -- I was always mindful of what Mark Twain said: "' if my rich uncle died and left me Hell and Texas -- I'd move to Hell and rent-out Texas"
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

whighlander said:
Stat -- you missed the point

Westin, Marriott, Sheraton -- that's potentially 3000 + people who are in Boston because of something happening at the Hynes
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People stay in these hotels for other reasons than to attend an event at the Hynes. Even those who are atteding an event there I'm sure desire to go out into the city at some point rather than spend all their time in a mall which is probably pretty identical to the malls back wherever they come from.

Whighlander, do you go to your local town hall meetings and clamor for more parking, shopping malls and gerbil tubes for Lexington?
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Are there any other renders than that one model out there iv only seen that 1
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

whighlander said:
Stat -- you missed the point

Westin, Marriott, Sheraton -- that's potentially 3000 + people who are in Boston because of something happening at the Hynes

if you throw in a thousand or so locals who are parking in the garage or may even arrive as I have by T -- you might have 5,000 people who are inside the Hynes and may want lunch, pick-up something for the little woman or man at home, desperately need some batteries for an exhibit, what-ever

Now its a typical mid-February day -- do you want to go back to your hotel room, put on a parka and perhaps boots and slog a couple of blocks using some crappy map -- or do you want to stroll casually through the shops at Pru and Copley to your destination and then back in-time for the afternoon keynote

That's why it works and makes sense in only two places the Pru-Hynes-Copley and the BCEC-Westin-Seaport -- Waterside Place

That's why it exists in a place such as Louisville where my challenge was to find some batteries for my camera on a brutally hot day in mid June 2010 -- 2 Gerbil Tubes later i had my batteries and some barbecue and I was back for the afternoon sessions
Click to expand...

I agree about a part of it being due to the large amount of tourists/conventioneers, but Statler's correct in saying that the street scene there is a nightmare. The streets under the gerbil tube are actually ok, but if you're going towards Copley Square, there are tiny sidewalks which often disappear and force you to walk on the curb of a very busy street. The Huntington/Stuart junction is easily the worst pedestrian set up in the city.

I worked in the Hancock Tower for 2 years and it didn't matter if it was a beautiful 72 degree day, that gerbil tube was always packed and there was usually very little foot traffic on the street.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

I'll try to have pictures tomorrow of this. Looks like the long CSC building along the reflecting pool has built out a retail space against Belvidere St, and are looking for a retail tenant in the space. this is across from a side of the Sheraton and somewhat close to the PF Chengs.

Also worth noting about that area that the food truck has really brought a whole new level of street life to the corner with the fountain.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Shepard said:
Also worth noting about that area that the food truck has really brought a whole new level of street life to the corner with the fountain.
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Hm. I walk though this area almost every day and have not noticed this (I'm not saying it's not true, just saying I haven't noticed...in fact, I was thinking the cool weather was keeping activity down somewhat.)
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Yep, for lunch it tends to switch between the Banh Mi truck (excellent) and the Go Fish truck (very good). I think various others are there for the dinner hours including Roxy's.

Point is, just one cheap food option really brings out the crowds to that corner especially around mealtimes. Interestingly, last year when the food truck pilot began they had outdoor seating at the corner, no longer for some reason.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

^^It can be an oppressively windy corner on occasion. I wouldn't be surprised if that had any effect on the presence of outdoor seating.

Also, I've noticed the food trucks and agree they have been excellent for the area. I'm particularly a fan of Kick*ss Cupcakes. And I really wish the Red Bones food truck would park along Belvedere.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Shepard said:
I'll try to have pictures tomorrow of this. Looks like the long CSC building along the reflecting pool has built out a retail space against Belvidere St, and are looking for a retail tenant in the space. this is across from a side of the Sheraton and somewhat close to the PF Chengs.
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You're talking about the Collonade building, right? I drove by there today and saw nothing different about it.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

kz1000ps said:
You're talking about the Collonade building, right? I drove by there today and saw nothing different about it.
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No, not the Collonade. He is indeed talking about the low-rise CSC building, just across Belvedere from PF Changs and the Sheraton. CSC has carved out a retail space. Click this link to see:

http://goo.gl/maps/Ls3o
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

briv, I don't understand your beef with those gerbil tubes. It makes it very easy for me to get from backbay station to the apple store.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

dshoost88 said:
No, not the Collonade. He is indeed talking about the low-rise CSC building, just across Belvedere from PF Changs and the Sheraton. CSC has carved out a retail space. Click this link to see:

http://goo.gl/maps/Ls3o
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That low-rise building is typically referred to as the Collonade building. IIRC, Northeastern has been leasing it? It's very confusing because the hotel across the street is also called the Collonade.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Ahh, okay. I see. That is confusing.
 
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