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

Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Check out the writing on the roofs of the townhouses on Clearway Street nearby:

'NOZE BOUB'

Is it some abstract protest against the towers?
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

This is scaring the hell out of me, which it shouldn't because I am all about new development and we absolutely need more 600+ towers in boston. The thing is all that we have been getting lately is precast trash which doesn't matter too much because they're all like 20 something story towers and the skyline doesn't really change. This has the potential to either completely upgrade or ruin the skyline forever. Im saying this literally could ruin Bostons skyline forever. Filenes new proposal gives me hope that we could get something good, but its still going to need to be better than that and even that tower is still in a sea of towers so if its a dud its still pretty hidden compared to this. This thing is going to be right next to the prudential center, which has almost nothing else around it to blend into so this thing is going to be extremely prominent. I hope to god this thing gets a quality design on par or better than the copley tower, and we will be all set. If some kensington, one marina type tower gets approved here we are screwed.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

PaulC said:
That's how interpret the letter. I was never liked the idea of putting a building on that site. It will be great if we get a higher building in exchange.
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If you go to the Huntington site slide here:

http://www.bostonredevelopmentautho...nce BRA Board Presentation_8_16_2011_ PDF.pdf

it was a very small building that basically put a new face to the Sunday School building on Huntington Ave.. i.e., it would be built on a bit of open space between the Sunday School building and Huntington Ave. Very problematic to put anything there that would rise above the roofline of Hort Hall.

The 2011 pdf linked above mentions a 2,000 sq ft pavillion. Where was/is that located?
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

stick n move said:
This is scaring the hell out of me, which it shouldn't because I am all about new development and we absolutely need more 600+ towers in boston. The thing is all that we have been getting lately is precast trash which doesn't matter too much because they're all like 20 something story towers and the skyline doesn't really change. This has the potential to either completely upgrade or ruin the skyline forever. Im saying this literally could ruin Bostons skyline forever. Filenes new proposal gives me hope that we could get something good, but its still going to need to be better than that and even that tower is still in a sea of towers so if its a dud its still pretty hidden compared to this. This thing is going to be right next to the prudential center, which has almost nothing else around it to blend into so this thing is going to be extremely prominent. I hope to god this thing gets a quality design on par or better than the copley tower, and we will be all set. If some kensington, one marina type tower gets approved here we are screwed.
Click to expand...

tumblr_m1vpm1N1ZH1qfnbak.gif


But yes, people will have to be very vigilant during this process. We have to hope the BRA, when the DO approve a "signature" tower, don't let the developers get away with shit materials. Also, I'd imagine the CCS doesn't want their image blasted by a shitty tower. They already have one brutalist tower to atone for.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Decided to try my hand at creating a rough massing model in Sketchup and sticking it in Google Earth. The first images of each duo are with the tower at 691', the seconds have it at 512'. I assumed the basic footprint would extend all the way up.

The first set shows the impressive impact this tower will have on the plaza.




From Fenway Park:




There's a few more in the set if you're curious.

One thing's clear to me: if this tower is going to be built at that height, it needs to be a gem.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

^ Awesome. And nice to see that you got a good camera...I want at least a hundred pictures a week!
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Ugh, I hate the new "blob" 3d buildings in google earth, but more then that I hate that you can't turn them off but keep the actual rendered models on. With every update that software gets worse...

On topic: the taller version looks infinitely better from every angle. Even only as a simple massing model its dramatic. If it is shorter I hope its not that wide...
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

^ I like the Frank Gehry effect on the Colonnade building and the Church. But that tower is awesome in either configuration.

Why doesn't the BRA do these kinds of models during project review? Would make it a lot easier to understand the impact of a building on its surrounding.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

I like both i think the shorter one fits better overall with whats there, but at the same time we gotta take something tall when we can get it so id say screw it go for the 700.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

elemenoh said:
^ I like the Frank Gehry effect on the Colonnade building and the Church. But that tower is awesome in either configuration.

Why doesn't the BRA do these kinds of models during project review? Would make it a lot easier to understand the impact of a building on its surrounding.
Click to expand...

The architects and developers do and are usually "submitted" during the master planning phase.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

I really hope this is a 700 foot tower and that it is all glass as it would create a trio of towers and if they put an all glass tower it would create a certain level of symmetry with the John Hancock.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

davem said:
Ugh, I hate the new "blob" 3d buildings in google earth, but more then that I hate that you can't turn them off but keep the actual rendered models on. With every update that software gets worse...

On topic: the taller version looks infinitely better from every angle. Even only as a simple massing model its dramatic. If it is shorter I hope its not that wide...
Click to expand...

You can turn off the lumpy terrain while preserving the 3d buildings, but you cannot do it using the layers pane. You need to go to the options menu, uncheck the 'Use 3d imagery' option.

https://support.google.com/earth/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2661942

It doesn't really matter which exact massing the tower ends up with; it's going to stand out anyway purely by virtue of its location.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Will it though when Berklee finishes their two towers and Parcels 12, 13 and 15 are done?
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

THANK YOU, SCALZI.

Question: Would anyone be interested if I were to consider making simple massing models of other buildings and building a "future skyline" type thread?

On topic: personally, I think both heights have their aesthetic merits. I prefer the shorter tower from some angles and the taller one from others. I still favor the taller one, however.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Downburst said:
THANK YOU, SCALZI.

Question: Would anyone be interested if I were to consider making simple massing models of other buildings and building a "future skyline" type thread?

On topic: personally, I think both heights have their aesthetic merits. I prefer the shorter tower from some angles and the taller one from others. I still favor the taller one, however.
Click to expand...

Um... Hell yes. (just speaking for myself of course)
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

Question: Would anyone be interested if I were to consider making simple massing models of other buildings and building a "future skyline" type thread?
Click to expand...

This would rock. Would also love to see a "What could have been!" render with all the cancelled projects over the last decade or so.
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

meddlepal said:
This would rock. Would also love to see a "What could have been!" render with all the cancelled projects over the last decade or so.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you want to subject yourself to such pain? haha
 
Re: Christian Science Church Center Renovation/ New Towers

elemenoh said:
^ I like the Frank Gehry effect on the Colonnade building and the Church.
Click to expand...

I thought it was more the Christian Scientists getting the Gaudi treatment :)
 
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