Marketplace Center | Quincy Market | Downtown

As JumboBuc said above, blow it up and start from scratch.
They'll be gutting the interior, completely redoing the façade and and making a shitload of seismic/structural improvements for the added floors. I can't imagine the financial argument for reusing the existing building is that strong. Does reuse of the existing building make it easier to get through the ZBA or something?
 
It would be grandfathered under some parts of the regulations.
 
How was this allowed to happen? Where were all the Nimby's when this was proposed? It truly has no connection to the area and looks like a strip mall building with no character association with Quincy Market or Faneuil Hall. I really think the shed roof design of the staggered green houses could have still been maintained in a new building. Also, the retail programming also could have been a little less "malling" of America. I think as part of leasing shop space, programming should be modified to include a learning or historic element that teaches at the same time, something like "the history of make-up manufacturing" incorporated into the shop. Powdered wigs or colognes trade in the colonies and the like. To controlling?

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It truly has no connection to the area and looks like a strip mall building with no character association with Quincy Market or Faneuil Hall. I really think the shed roof design of the staggered green houses could have still been maintained in a new building. Also, the retail programming also could have been a little less "malling" of America.

Hasn't Quincy Market been a glorified mall for decades? I don't find the Sephora to be more out of place than any of the other vendors personally.
 
It's pretty all right, it's pretty out of place. Totally agree with Dhawkins above post on this.
 
I like the building, the massing, how it curves along the street and forms the pedestrian space on the other side. I don't like how it's all one tenant and that they blocked off all the windows.

The area is a tourist trap. Of course it will feel like a strip mall because where else do you find businesses like Sephora? If the building contained something quirky and local with some character then I'd doubt anyone would even notice the actual building.
 
Definitely like the building. It being a sephora is unfortunate, but nothing says it has to stay a makeup shop forever. It could easily be converted to something else in the future.
 
And the buildings it replaced weren't? Let's not pretend like there used to be something historic, neo-classical, or georgian here.

Reminder: 7 North St - Google Maps

It is more about the glazed shed roof design of the green houses was a continuation of the glazed sheds on each side of Quincy Market, an architectural language to tie the entire complex together. I assume this shed design was to replicate the canvas awnings of the original market. It's not being about a strict architectural language either, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market as well as1 Faneuil and 200 State market place share similar architectural language such as arches and columns in one aspect or another. But this corner building is very fluid and doesn't try to connect with the classic / historic arcade market feel. Maybe if it was meant to stand out as a visitor center I would accept it but being part of the market itself, it's bothersome because there was no attempt to connect to Boston's market history.
 
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It is more about the glazed shed roof design of the green houses was a continuation of the glazed sheds on each side of Quincy Market, an architectural language to tie the entire complex together. I assume this shed design was to replicate the canvas awnings of the original market.

Huh. Never thought of that, and you make a good point. I personally don't think the glazed sheds are very attractive or meld with their surroundings either, but at least before they were replaced, the sheds were in solidarity with the three greenhouses.
 

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