General Electric HQ (Necco Buildings Reno) | 5 Necco Street | Fort Point

[BeeLine]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

^^^ You nailed it!!!
Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

The site today:

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Plans, Sections, Elevations, Renders (not posted above):

Very cool didnt notice the gerbil tube on the roof.

 

[itchy]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

This is like the City Hall of our era.

Aside from bringing high-paying jobs into the city, there are 3 positive aspects about the building that come to mind:
1) It's new and shiny, at least for the first 10 years after it's built
2) Its construction doesn't result in the destruction of any nicer / historic structures
3) It's not actually City Hall

Beyond that, I'm struggling for nice things to say... I have a feeling the money behind the likes of GE may be able to pull this off if the materials are top-of-the-line (in which case the building's virtues are more due to its materials than its architecture); but if they aren't I imagine this will be quite the lemon.

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

My entire post with all of the renders and even my post was deleted? I have never seen that happen before.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I've admired Gensler for quite a while, and this certainly doesn't disappoint. It evokes a more opulent version of Behnisch Architekten's Genzyme Center. The solar veil makes me think of Ken Yeang's ideas, transported from Southeast Asia to the post-industrial Seaport.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

^ I agree it looks nice. Amazing what millions of dollars from Massachusetts tax breaks will get you

 

[Downburst]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

This will be filled in around in the coming years so it will blend in more eventually while still being visually interesting.

The parcel immediately south of this is planned to be greenspace under the 100 Acres plan, so I would count on the southern side remaining visible. Gensler seems to have planned for this with the extension of the solar veil down the south side of the facade.

 

[Jouhou]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

The new building reminds me of the photocopier at work.

 

[Cortes]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I think that the activation of channel is what makes this project important. It really shows what might be possible across the street (channel). People on this forum seem to really hate the new Seaport Memorial park (for good reason), but combined with with the park that is envisioned in the 100 acre plan, plus this weird idea of a "wormwood" district, this actually looks like a place I would go. As a side note, please GE, make the top deck of the lower buildings public accessible, ala 470 Atlantic Ave.

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Lol my entire new post of pictures was deleted again...

 

[Shepard]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

What's going on with Stick's pics?

 

[datadyne007]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

What's going on with Stick's pics?

He reposted the giant render post to "bump" it to the new page. The first time around, he posted the render post after another person had pulled the same renders from GE's Imgur link. (I did too, Equi beat me, but I removed the images.)

 

[CSTH]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I think that the activation of channel is what makes this project important. It really shows what might be possible across the street (channel). People on this forum seem to really hate the new Seaport Memorial park (for good reason), but combined with with the park that is envisioned in the 100 acre plan, plus this weird idea of a "wormwood" district, this actually looks like a place I would go. As a side note, please GE, make the top deck of the lower buildings public accessible, ala 470 Atlantic Ave.

Especially if we someday see a reconstituted 'Mt Washington Ave. Bridge' crossing the upper half of the channel

 

[bigpicture7]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

The new building reminds me of the photocopier at work.

Hehe...would have been cool if the design reflected something that GE actually makes...like a jet engine...a rounder curve with the support struts terminating at a center hub would have evoked such a thing

 

[tangent]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

It's the fact that it's cantilevered that keeps this from being just another PWC glass box. Well, that and the wooden fins.

Prefer just a glass box. Now it's just another cantilevered building. I really don't understand why some people like this cantilevered for the sake of cantilevering shit. I used to play with blocks too, but I don't think buildings should look like children's toys.

It gratuitously adds cost without adding any value. It says look at me I can waste your money on something that looks like it should fall over but probably won't.

 

[Equilibria]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Prefer just a glass box. Now it's just another cantilevered building. I really don't understand why some people like this cantilevered for the sake of cantilevering shit. I used to play with blocks too, but I don't think buildings should look like children's toys.

It gratuitously adds cost without adding any value. It says look at me I can waste your money on something that looks like it should fall over but probably won't.

I think it's intended more to increase the ground-level public open space without sacrificing floor area or adding a storey. That's value.

Same reason the ICA did it... it allowed them to fit the museum on a tiny site.

 

[stick n move]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

He reposted the giant render post to "bump" it to the new page. The first time around, he posted the render post after another person had pulled the same renders from GE's Imgur link. (I did too, Equi beat me, but I removed the images.)

When i had posted it the first time there was no renders posted yet at all. It was post #360. Then they got deleted so i posted them again and it was the next page at that point. The 2nd batch on this page are completely gone now. I didnt do it to "bump" them, as they were deleted. They were also the first renders up so they werent posted after anybody had already posted them.

The only thing I can think of is its because the images are huge, but I just copied the links.

 

[tangent]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

I think it's intended more to increase the ground-level public open space without sacrificing floor area or adding a storey. That's value.

Same reason the ICA did it... it allowed them to fit the museum on a tiny site.

Ah the ICA, another building I never want to actually go in because it unnerves me.

How about a veil on the building to obscure the overhang then? Just drop something to the ground level to create the illusion of support. Still accomplishes the technical (and laudable) goal of providing public space on the waterfront...without the looming feeling that a building is going to fall on you.

I don't think I am alone in this phobia. And yes I understand that it is perfectly safe when engineered correctly. Buildings just shouldn't look like they are going to fall down. I mean I like roller coasters, they are exciting, I understand they are safe. But I wouldn't want to have lunch under one or have an office in one.

A big building like this should inspire confidence in the building, in the company, this building makes me think GE as a company is about to topple over.

 

[Equilibria]

Re: General Electric HQ | 244-284 A Street | Fort Point

Ah the ICA, another building I never want to actually go in because it unnerves me.

How about a veil on the building to obscure the overhang then? Just drop something to the ground level to create the illusion of support. Still accomplishes the technical (and laudable) goal of providing public space on the waterfront...without the looming feeling that a building is going to fall on you.

I don't think I am alone in this phobia. And yes I understand that it is perfectly safe when engineered correctly. Buildings just shouldn't look like they are going to fall down. I mean I like roller coasters, they are exciting, I understand they are safe. But I wouldn't want to have lunch under one or have an office in one.

A big building like this should inspire confidence in the building, in the company, this building makes me think GE as a company is about to topple over.

I kind of feel like a dropping a giant curtain would impede the public space, thus defeating the purpose...