Kenmore Square North (WHOOP) | 533-541 Commonwealth Ave | Fenway

What an unbelievable sack of garbage this building is. In every possible way.
 
To make matters worse, this building is clearly visible on the Sox TV broadcast, every time a home run clears the monster. Millions of people across the world are going to see it 81 days a year.
 
Action a little down the block.

As a reminder, here's what's going in that demo'd gap (from 12/3/20 mtg., posted at BPDA)

FW1.png
 
Well, it clears the lowest bar in the world by being less atrocious than the building on the corner.

Don't jinx it by making that sound too much like a dare! If the cladding has the same anti- quality control, the stink lines from that shit sandwich could be enough to implode the ex-bookstore on its own whiff.
 
I actually find that worse than the corner building. There's just nothing remotely interesting or engaging about it. "Designed" by an excel sheet and not a human.
And you can be confident all the cladding with be dull gray metal panels.
It's not replacing something as beloved though, so it stings less.

Beal should have partnered with an outside architect.
 
Well, it clears the lowest bar in the world by being less atrocious than the building on the corner.

I spy aluminum panels and I bet they'll look even flimsier than the brick. I can almost hear the developer off in the distance saying "hold my beer."
 
I spy aluminum panels and I bet they'll look even flimsier than the brick. I can almost hear the developer off in the distance saying "hold my beer."
Ha, a home run from Fenway will make a pretty good dent in those aluminum panels.
 
Ha, a home run from Fenway will make a pretty good dent in those aluminum panels.

Will make for some good tourism. You can put a circle around it and number them all. Put up a signboard at the base with the date of the home run and final score.

I'll go back to lurking. 😬
 
I know nothing about pre-cast panels, but the "brick" looks more pink than red and there are massive panel gaps. Are those gaps going to be filled in with anything?

Why not use real brick in such a highly visible location? There is a new 5+1 plywood palace going up down the street from me and they used hand-laid brick (in an area of old, converted warehouses).
 
I know nothing about pre-cast panels, but the "brick" looks more pink than red and there are massive panel gaps. Are those gaps going to be filled in with anything?

Why not use real brick in such a highly visible location? There is a new 5+1 plywood palace going up down the street from me and they used hand-laid brick (in an area of old, converted warehouses).

Because they're cheapskates.
 
It’s not too late to save the other facade from this same fate. Does anyone know who needs to be contacted to express the general opinion that this is a total failure?
 
Still waiting for the final product before making a real judgement but I decided to point myself westward for my evening run today and ran out to Kenmore square to check this out and the BU stack o' books building.

I don't hate it? It's boring, but I think it actually looks okay. The materials don't feel nearly as cheap in person as the pictures makes them seem.
 
I love it when you make your reads, hand the ball off to your camera and it immediately fumbles for a 12 yard loss. Oh well, not every shot can be a winner ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

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