Liberty Mutual Tower | 157 Berkeley Street | Back Bay

Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

When old Hancock was built it was very tall compared to almost anything else in the city. I'm sure it was pretty exciting in it's day.

It's handsome enough and not as lacking on detail as 175 Berkeley across the street. It also has one of the few spires in the city with it's changing colors and whatnot at night. So yes, much less "boring".

If it had been built say in New York at that time it'd probably be a 800 foot tower with a spire, but then as now, we build small. Add a few hundred feet and this would have been a major landmark and recognizable tower around the country. While it was (and somewhat still is) a local landmark only.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I visited today under an overcast sky. Early concerns were premature. This building is absolute boss.

It looks better up close on street level than from a medium distance out.

The lack of fine detailing is not an oversight. It is bluntness. And encasing this bluntness in stone rather than concrete, glass, or steel gives the building a gravity that few others can claim.

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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Looks just like precast.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I don't want to complain too much ... but I do have to say that if you are going to do stone ... try not to detail it like precast concrete. Stone gives you so much flexibility in how you can add large and small scale detailing. This looks like they stopped with the large scale details and ignored the rest. Its too bad really.

cca
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

cca said:
I don't want to complain too much ... but I do have to say that if you are going to do stone ... try not to detail it like precast concrete. Stone gives you so much flexibility in how you can add large and small scale detailing. This looks like they stopped with the large scale details and ignored the rest. Its too bad really.

cca
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I agree. The lintels and such could have had more intimate stone detailing.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

cca said:
I don't want to complain too much ... but I do have to say that if you are going to do stone ... try not to detail it like precast concrete. Stone gives you so much flexibility in how you can add large and small scale detailing. This looks like they stopped with the large scale details and ignored the rest. Its too bad really.
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I think you have it backwards. Over the years precast concrete has been detailed to look like stone. So it's no surprise that this stone looks like precast that looks like stone. What kind of small details do you think the buildings misses?

I agree. The lintels and such could have had more intimate stone detailing.
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Yeah, but that's just cutting corners in general. You can have intimate detailing with precast lintels. I don't think it has to do with stone versus concrete.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

To convey grand massiveness, you need simple comprehensible forms. Otherwise, detailing will dilute it's weight. This building is aiming for a blunt, monumental, grandness.

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You need to approach with this in mind. What you seem to want is the Baroque finery of a faberge egg. That is an imported Brahmin ideal -- and it is not the goal of this building.


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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I walk by the new building twice a day and see it close up. It does look like precast.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Odd, I walk by it daily too, and find that it looks like stone.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I live 2 blocks away and think it looks like stone. I've been pleasantly surprised by this building.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I'm going to predict this will be the last building built in Boston to ever have a facade like this. It is amazing that something like this was even built in 2012. In this age of Alucobond and glass curtain walls, it's extremely refreshing to see a monumental limestone facade.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Agreed, although I'm not so sure it'll be the last building clad with limestone. Who knows? This could be the start of a trend.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

olDe unSle walks bye its STONED
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

AmericanFolkLegend said:
I think you have it backwards. Over the years precast concrete has been detailed to look like stone. So it's no surprise that this stone looks like precast that looks like stone. What kind of small details do you think the buildings misses?


Yeah, but that's just cutting corners in general. You can have intimate detailing with precast lintels. I don't think it has to do with stone versus concrete.
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Precast detailing is limited by what you can do with the forms, and reinforcing, and what is economical for size and shipping.

Cut stone can have human scale details carved. The scale of the detailing CAN be different when using stone if you can find craftspeople to execute. This is actually the hardest part of the equation sometimes.

All I am saying is this. Lets say you pay for stone, it would be a shame if you cut it into 16" wide by 8" tall blocks that look like CMU because cut stone can do so much more size/color/detailing than a CMU can. You are degrading the material.

In this case, why make it look so much like Precast Concrete? That is all I am trying to say.

cca
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

cca said:
In this case, why make it look so much like Precast Concrete? That is all I am trying to say.
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Just cuz you got it, don't mean you need to flaunt it.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

cca said:
Precast detailing is limited by what you can do with the forms, and reinforcing, and what is economical for size and shipping.

Cut stone can have human scale details carved. The scale of the detailing CAN be different when using stone if you can find craftspeople to execute. This is actually the hardest part of the equation sometimes.

cca
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While the detailing of precast may be limited somewhat, the ability to utilize colors is an added dimension. Also, once the mold is cast the details are very repeatable. You mention the economics, and the precast detailing is always going to be more economical than the fine details by the craftspeople you mention.

Other moldables that are used in other climates such as out in Vegas greatly increase the potential for detail over precast concrete as well.

Not to split hairs or stones.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

JoeMail said:
Just cuz you got it, don't mean you need to flaunt it.
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But you paid for it? Why hide it?

SeamusMcFly said:
While the detailing of precast may be limited somewhat, the ability to utilize colors is an added dimension. Also, once the mold is cast the details are very repeatable. You mention the economics, and the precast detailing is always going to be more economical than the fine details by the craftspeople you mention.

Other moldables that are used in other climates such as out in Vegas greatly increase the potential for detail over precast concrete as well.

Not to split hairs or stones.
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I cannot disagree with the economics of precast. It looks like what you pay for. As far as Vegas, what happens there should stay there.
 
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