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

Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

Right, it's the people in the co op on Mass Ave. It's the people who live in Edgerly townhouses. It's the people who live at Fensgate co op. It's the "tax-em-more!" people from Symphony Road. It's the people who live at the NW corner of Mass Ave/Marlborough. It's the people from Comm./Marlb./Beacon who would never slum in this neighborhoood, but still don't want it to be improved.

It's a collection of pseudo-professionals who think expensive preservation of historically pointless detail is a guiding design principle.* It's an interesting preference by some elected officials for future potential developers of nearby property over two existing, well established, strong, active and stable members of this gateway neighborhood of Back Bay, Fenway and South End.


* I'm referring to an exhaustive conversation about Berklee preserving the interior of the theater and bank building. The audience couldn't grasp that there's nothing left inside except a few door frames. "But they could remodel." It was ridiculous.

And these two threads will probably get as ridiculous as FCCS and Berklee start construction.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

Christian Science Church changes Back Bay plans
By Thomas Grillo | Friday, February 26, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate

As the need for new downtown office space disappears amid double-digit vacancy rates, the Christian Science Church has switched plans to develop its 14.5-acre site.

Instead of an office building, church officials now hope to build a 35-story residential tower and a 15-story hotel on Dalton Street and a third building at Huntington Avenue - all far above the zoning limits.

But a group of residents have filed an application with the city to landmark the Christian Science complex. They are seeking Boston Landmarks Commission status for the church, the plaza and reflecting pool, library and administration building. If granted, the church would face additional hurdles in getting construction approvals.

George Thrush, director of Northeastern University?s School of Architecture and co-chair of a 16-member panel appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino to advise City Hall on the project, said the landmark effort is a move to resist large development on the church?s property.

?There are a whole bunch of people who want nothing but to stop as much development as they can,? Thrush said. ?Almost everyone understands that this is a part of town that should have taller buildings.?

Barbara Burley, senior manager at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, said she is not concerned about the landmark status. ?We will find a way to see the site evolve while preserving the special property,? she said.

Joanne McKenna, a representative from the Fenway Community Development Corp., said the project has the potential to meet goals of an urban village with affordable and market rate housing, access to public transportation, community space and other public benefits.

But she said so far the church has been vague about its plans. ?We?ve been meeting for a year and I still don?t have enough information yet to give my opinion on the project,? she said.

Douglass Shand-Tucci, a spokesman for the group supporting the landmark designation, was unavailable for comment.
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Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1235763
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

?There are a whole bunch of people who want nothing but to stop as much development as they can,? Thrush said. ?Almost everyone understands that this is a part of town that should have taller buildings.?
Click to expand...

Good to hear someone not on these boards say that.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

The plaza, reflecting pool and fountain should be landmarked...they comprise a wonderful urban space.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

Before deciding whether this is a good plan, I'd like to see a map showing the location of each of the 3 proposed buildings.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

Just our luck.

The right mentality at the wrong location.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

I like the fact that they are developing something.In additon at least they do reliaze that this is an area that is suppose to have tall buildings. I seen one of the older renderings and they are hoping to building something at least 500 feet. I do think that the Back Bay would be the perfect place for a 1,000 tower
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

Landmarking the reflecting pool, plaza, and buildings named above by Shand-Tucci would not interfere with the Dalton Street development plan (shown in that PDF) in any way. But where do they want to build on Huntington Ave?
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

I think the Christian Science Center is a great space, but it certainly isn't perfect, and, as is, should not be encased in amber for all eternity. For example, I think the Huntington Ave side of the property is very poorly laid out and poorly utilized. A well designed, colonnaded structure could greatly enhance both the pool area and Huntington Ave, IMO.

Also, it doesn't appear that any new development will effect the existing public space directly.

csc_towers_proposal.jpg
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

The only thing I'm opposed to is cutting the pool in half. That's architectural blasphemy.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

I don't see any 'urbanist' difference between the two proposals, except that the old one is a single building while the new one has two buildings divided by a street. Given our general distaste for 'landscrapers', I'd give the edge to the new proposal.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

ablarc said:
It'll improve circulation.
Click to expand...

Don't care. This is one place I don't want to see them mess with something so sculptural. If I designed that, and someone came in after my work was finished, I would be pissed that they didn't respect my artistic vision. Altering the pond by maintaining it or messing with the mechanicals underneath - sure. Cutting a path right through the middle - a silly pseudo-design diagonal one at that - would be a huge disgrace.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

The entire Prudential area is towers-in-a-park-ish... But it seems to work, doesn't it?
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

I can't get excited about something that will only be evident to someone if riding in a helicopter.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

they have the copley tower in those renderings lets hope to god that thing gets built it is one of the most beautiful designs ever made.
 
Re: New tower at Christian Science Church Plaza

They do? Good eye. Now that you mention it, it has one of the two proposed towers on Boylston Street, too, doesn't it?
 
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