Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex | Cambridge

[datadyne007]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

This project is exactly how not to be inspired by Richardson.

 

[Riverworks]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Is it just me or does this look a bit like Italian fascist architecture from the 1920s?

 

[Digital_Islandboy]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

It looks like they were a little over-inspired by Lesley U's current digs at the Porter Exchange Mall. I think the new building will grow on folks, but it's definitely a little jarring on that stretch of one-story Mass Ave. storefronts.

Porter Exchange Mall used to be a Sears store. It looks very similar to the other buildings in the area which used to be Sears and Roebuck buildings (i.e. Landmark Centre in Boston).
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Landmark_Center_(Boston)

There is another building on Mt. Auburn St. (The one currently housing Tufts Health in Watertown), it also looks similar to Porter Exchange but I can't remember if it used to be a Sears store?

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=...=yJcBAtpH56oRGnMRL0ixUQ&cbp=12,90.19,,0,-8.76

 

[Ron Newman]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

The building in Watertown belonged to New England Telephone.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Is it just me or does this look a bit like Italian fascist architecture from the 1920s?

Czsz already likened it to Mussolini's EUR, lol.

 

[czsz]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Yup. Now that it's nearly complete the resemblance couldn't be more clear. It's like Stern just cut and pasted elements of EUR:

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

7/16:

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

To put this building in culinary terms, it's a $35 hamburger.

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Sidewalk seems to have turned out pretty narrow here. Can two people comfortably walk past each other or will you have to do the awkward-passing-twist as you go past...

 

[whighlander]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

I think under ADL that new sidewalks need to be at minimum sufficient for a person in a wheel chair to pass a pedestrian going in the other direction without requiring either to move out of their path -- so I'm guessing unless its a Celtics reunion with Shaq and some other big guy there wont be a problem

 

[BostonUrbEx]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Sidewalks actually seem alottt wider in person than in that pic.

Finally, all the fencing and such is gone, fully landscaped, etc...

 

[whighlander]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

If I ca'na hav-a-sphere -- I'll take some golden arches with my $35 burger, monsieur s'il vous plaît

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

If I ca'na hav-a-sphere...

You can totally have a sphere, Westy - in Los Angeles.

The International Style Mohawk that caps this building is the most absurd architectural decision I've noted in my living memory.

 

[jass]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

 

[bdurden]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Campbell not a fan:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/201...harvard-law/amOzQBtEvRx6S4F6kq0fjJ/story.html

 

[Lurker]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Complaining that the building is designed to please its users and not to please the tastes of an architecture critic. What a maroon.

 

[GW2500]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

I think some color highlights would really help this building out. Maybe even just some long vertical crimson banners.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Maybe even just some long vertical crimson banners.

Shades of Albert Speer.

 

[GW2500]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

Ha, ya get your heil on.

 

[Tombstoner]

Re: Harvard Law School - Northwest Corner complex

At street level, I don't think it looks that bad. The quality of the materials and the craftsmanship is apparent. I think the neofascism creeps in only at a distance.