MassDOT Pike Parcels 12 - 15 | Boylston St. and Mass. Ave | Back Bay

This isnt what the Viola looks like but its a render Ive never seen before so its interesting to see some of the other ideas that were going around. I like it.


https://postimage.io/



This has been posted a bunch but for the people who would inevitably be confused about the picture above, here is whats going there.


THE_viola.jpg
 
is that totally badass thing ever getting built?

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i love infill
 
It looks badass from 150 feet up in the air. At street level it's just a monolithic red wall. The thing's going to be overpowering, and not in a good way.
 
xec said:
It looks badass from 150 feet up in the air. At street level it's just a monolithic red wall. The thing's going to be overpowering, and not in a good way.
Click to expand...

State Transportation Building Part II
 
Unfortunately we didn't learn from our mistakes the first time around. I guess we need one more after this, should it actually get built in its current configuration. Or is this the final configuration?
 
Adding insult to injury on the Boylston St side is how it seems to shroud Mass Ave beneath a dark cantilever. I don't get it. I remember trinity having a boring entry, and then there was some sort of spaceship saucer-mall proposed for the corner. Was there another one I'm missing? Too depressed to go back up the thread.
 
Yes and no.... i hate our ultra long buildings more than anyone, but i let this one go due to the filling of the huge gaping hole + the unbroken rowhouse setup behind it on Newbury Street. This thing isn't going to block anything really that isn't already blocked by the Mass Pike. The only thing of course, is that it's a good bit taller than Newbury Street. BUT.... it's a layered step up that you won't notice much from nearly anywhere north of it in Back Bay, except walking up Mass Ave, you'll see it, and of course, on Boylston. But, this is the front of the High Spine: it won't be any taller than the Greenhouse Apts on Huntington.

i hope they put in a couple of walkways to the alley. Other than that, this thing will be fine. i wouldn't want to see it go any taller. But as planned, this area is going to be amazing and come ALIVE!! i'm thrilled by the numbers of people we'll see here. Saint Cecilia's is gonna be full too! Let's roll!!
 
I really doubt Parcel 13's proposed structure will be as bad as all that. At street level, the facade is pretty broken up by non-red-wall, and the facade material itself has far more definition than the State Transportation Building. Plus, this parcel is around 40% of that one in total square feet.
 
They should have gone for the more traditional design. Architecture is generally more beautiful in context. What I noticed when I was in Italy is that a consistent architectural language and repetitive massing make a beautiful city. The Italians have been building in the same style for millennia.

If you are going to be weird and defy the context, than it needs to be really good. Like, architectural magazine worthy exceptional. The ICA. Guggenheim Bilbao. This proposal is just weird. Not good. Like the Northeastern science building.
 
I'm sure it looks better from 150 feet from the optimal viewing angle but I'm not sure it's the State Transportation Building Volume II. Part of the problem with that building is the totally uninspired brick work and bland windows. Yes, it is a monolithic wall, but more interesting materials and design would help it.

As a reminder: the Viola site is currently a beat up chain fence with a view of the highway and an alley. Considering the history of the parcel, actually getting something built on it even only as good as the Transportation Building should be a win, no?
 
SlothofDespond said:
Considering the history of the parcel, actually getting something built on it even only as good as the Transportation Building should be a win, no?
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There's nothing good about the massive hulking brick fortress that is the transportation building so NO! I just hope the Viola turns out to be a winner.
 
Honestly, getting anything build where the Viola is going and at Mass Ave/Newbury would be a huge win to make this not feel so windswept.

When is Viola breaking ground - 2019 right?
 
i hope it isn't that giant sucking sound.......


To Tosh, fellow-antagonists, armchair planners, psychopaths and other mental defectives,

I will be taking over as Project Manager on the 1000 Boylston Street Proposed Project. I want to inform you that we have scheduled our next Public Meeting for October 3, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the St Celia Parish, 18 Belvidere Street, Boston MA, 02115.

The purpose of this meeting is for the proponent to provide an update on the proposed project at 1000 Boylston Street,

and also to discuss updates to zoning on the project site.

Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions.

Best,
Mike

--
BPDA_Identity_RGB_Hor_Pri_DB.png
Michael Rooney
Project Manager
617-918-4237
Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
One City Hall Square | Boston, MA 02201
bostonplans.org
 
odurandina said:
i hope it isn't that giant sucking sound.......


To Tosh, fellow-antagonists, armchair planners, psychopaths and other mental defectives,

I will be taking over as Project Manager on the 1000 Boylston Street Proposed Project. I want to inform you that we have scheduled our next Public Meeting for October 3, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the St Celia Parish, 18 Belvidere Street, Boston MA, 02115.

The purpose of this meeting is for the proponent to provide an update on the proposed project at 1000 Boylston Street,

and also to discuss updates to zoning on the project site.

Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions.

Best,
Mike

--
BPDA_Identity_RGB_Hor_Pri_DB.png
Michael Rooney
Project Manager
617-918-4237
Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
One City Hall Square | Boston, MA 02201
bostonplans.org
Click to expand...

Not sure how serious that email is, but it's not a sucking sound:

http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/6d41a411-ffb6-4e0b-a594-a1842180da04

With that said... they brought the height down because of neighbor concerns about "density." Go jump in the river, neighbors. You live in f-ing Back Bay. You bought into density. To be a bit kinder, though, I suspect this has more to do with the developer seeing competition from the Viola and One Dalton growing than it did with the neighbors - that's just their excuse.

484' to the highest floor, so it'll still break 500' and probably get up to 525'.

Renders begin on p.92. Actually, having looked through them, I kind of like this version better. The step-down actually results in a nicer-looking skyline, and the building is more resolved now.
 
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Key paragraphs:

The Project described in the ENF/PNF consisted of two residential buildings rising
above a 5-story Podium2 with rooftop outdoor amenity space that spanned the
Project Site – an “East Building” or “Apartments Building” comprised of residential
apartments with a height of approximately 283 feet from grade to the top of the
highest occupiable floor, and a “West Building” or “Residences Building” comprised
of residential condominiums with a height of approximately 566 feet to the top of
the highest occupiable floor.


In response to community concerns about density of the Project and the height of
the West Building, the Project has been re-designed to include only one residential
building—the Residences Building—consisting of up to approximately 108 units, and
with a reduced height of 484 feet from grade to the top of the highest occupiable
floor. The number of condominium units have been reduced by 52 from up to 160
units to up to approximately 108 units, and the 182 rental units have been
eliminated entirely for a total reduction of approximately 234 residential units. The
height to the top of the highest occupiable floor has been reduced by 82 feet from
566 feet to 484 feet.
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It's still a 500+ft building once you account for mech and architectural flair. That's pretty sizable.
 
Love to see spoiled rich people screwing over everyone else by making it hard to build up the city's housing stock.
 
The only thing I don't like about this is that the ugly parking structure next to it isn't ripped down and incorporated into it.
 
Love to see spoiled rich people screwing over everyone else by making it hard to build up the city's housing stock.
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Let's not pretend anyone besides rich folk are living in a 600ft tower in Back Bay. It's just rich folk screwing over rich folk unless you believe in trickle down economics.
 
It looks a lot better than the version before.
 
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