Lovejoy Wharf - Hoffman Building | 160 North Washington Street | West End

Quick cellphone shot between train rides:

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stick n move said:
Why does it have a converse sign on it?
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Stick -- This the new HQ for Converse

I'd kinda wish that they had a huge [as in Citgo Sign scale] Chuck Taylor Converse AllStars lighting up at night

I'm willing to bet that a Mr. Russel was wearing those when he collected all those Rings and Banners in the days of the ol Gahden
 
This is going to be one of the best reuses in the cities history (not the best but one of the best). It will probably be a landmark building coming into the city from the north like State St is from the south and the Pru is from the west.
 
With this, the TD Garden towers, Nashua St. Residences, and Garden Garage towers (IF those ever get built, and thats a big IF), the view coming in from the North will be greatly enhanced, and I'm very excited about this. I grew up north of the city so this is the view I'm familiar with and it has a special place in my heart :)
 
I hope the c*nverse sign encourages the garden to step up its game. The size is good, but the quality is sooo cheap

The view coming in on 93 would be incredible if there was a bunch of architectural sinage as you decend into the tunnel from the brightly lit zakim
 
Yea as of now the view coming in from the north is incredible but there are very short towers on that side, cant wait until it is greatly enhanced. Having that converse sign is such a retro, awesome addition to the area.
 
stick n move said:
Yea as of now the view coming in from the north is incredible but there are very short towers on that side, cant wait until it is greatly enhanced. Having that converse sign is such a retro, awesome addition to the area.
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Stick -- Back when he was really hot Frank Gehry redid a relatively nondescript early 20th C building on the end of Newburry St to house Tower Records -- now known as 360 Newbury Street its' mostly condos

The original plan had a Giant T Bag hanging in a notch in the top of the building -- didn't fly with Menino
360-newbury_L.jpg

I'd love to see the TD Garden hang some giant basketball sneakers and some giant hockey skates from one or more of the towers to be
 
whighlander said:
The original plan had a Giant T Bag hanging in a notch in the top of the building -- didn't fly with Menino
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Rehab was in 1986-1987. The Tea Bags didn't fly with The Future Ambassador / Umbrella Holder to the Holy See or the Turnpike Authority. I forget who shot it down.

When Tower left and before Virgin moved in Virgin did a focus group. I told them it was a Gehry rehab and they almost fainted. They had no idea.
 
If anyone can find any rendering of the original design w/ tea bag I would be forever grateful and probably buy you a Snickers bar.
 
JohnCostello said:
Rehab was in 1986-1987. The Tea Bags didn't fly with The Future Ambassador / Umbrella Holder to the Holy See or the Turnpike Authority. I forget who shot it down.

When Tower left and before Virgin moved in Virgin did a focus group. I told them it was a Gehry rehab and they almost fainted. They had no idea.
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John -- you are of course right -- there was a rework after the departure of Virgin 2005? -- where Gehry had some hand in the matter

John K --
I was at an MIT event connected with MIT's Stata with Gehry as guest speaker and later he was an informal tour guide ---- I asked about the T-Bags at 360 Newbury -- Gehry laughed -- no pix were presented -- I too would love to see the original render --However a snicker's might be going too too far ... how about a Big Hershey's Kiss from both of us
 
I believe Claes Oldenburg created the Tea Bag sculpture. He and Gehry are friends and had worked together on the Chiat/Day Binocular Building in Santa Monica. If memory serves, his first suggestion was silverware - a fork, a knife, a spoon - which was roundly booed by neighbors and the BRA. Tea Bags was considered a Boston-appropriate alternative.
 
whighlander said:
John -- you are of course right -- there was a rework after the departure of Virgin 2005? -- where Gehry had some hand in the matter
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Nope. Gehry was only involved back in the '80s, and when Best Buy took over the space in mid-'07 it was strictly interior refitting. I watched it all go down from my then-apartment which overlooked the whole Boylston/Newbury/Mass Ave chasm.
 
whighlander said:
John -- you are of course right -- there was a rework after the departure of Virgin 2005? -- where Gehry had some hand in the matter

No Gehry had the late 80's overall building rehab. I believe some architect drinking his sorrows away with the crap he has to work on to make a living did the rehab from Virgin to Best Buy.
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All right then - Did you know WBOS used to broadcast from Lovejoy Wharf back in the early 1980's? There, synergy between the music we used to buy at 360 Newbury Street and the future tax subsidized headquarters of a division of Nike.

Does anyone know if there will be ground floor, or should I say grade level retail here? You can sell a lot of tonic and ice cream in the summer when tourists cross to go to the Navy Yard.
 
Perhaps a bit more germane, after consulting the proposed Connect Historic Boston trail map, the trail will traverse Lovejoy Wharf because the map clearly depicts the trail going under the North Washington Street, or Charlestown, bridge.
 
I visited home this weekend and saw the progress on the building and the sign. Am the only one who wishes that the "Converse" sign was a bit bigger?
 
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