Millennium Tower (Filene's) | 426 Washington Street | Downtown

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: Filene's

Here's a new pic by tobyjug of the Filene's construction site, with 45 Province rising in the background.

L1060226.jpg


And here's me with my (admittedly basic) tilt-shift photoshopping? What do you think?

L10602261.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

Could you focus the tilt-shift on 45 Province?
 
Re: Filene's

tilt-shift doesn't work great when focusing on the sky, since people don't imagine a model of the sky, but I tried my best:

L10602262.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

Thanks for the post, Barb! (If you do a digital zoom on 45 Province, the tilt shift might work better. The image is 10.1 mp, so it should be able to handle it.)
Anyway, the demo work has brought the 50's building down to the level of the 1905 roof. This is where it might get interesting (or not). I suspect the developer plans a facadectomy on the 1905 building, so once that 50's wall in the center of the picture gets ripped down, it might make sense to start peeling up the 1905 roof.
Generally, the air quality in the neighborhood is poor due to a cloud of gypsum and mortar dust (if we are lucky). The dust suppression system consists of a spray of water on the debris drop zone inside the building near the mural. The light that incidentally lights the mural is directed at the rubble chute. Water is fed from a hydrant on Franklin through a fire hose and is misted on to the rubble pile. The pile mounts during the day. The off site removal appears to occur after midnight. The system is inadequate, and on the first hot day, there will be hell to pay.
Not having learned the lesson of last week's Hawley St. avalanche, one hard hatted Einstein was throwing bricks overboard yesterday...
As to 45 Province in the background, I'm guessing it will rise a little higher than the crane control cab.

Toby
 
Re: Filene's

L1060363.jpg


Today. Note that the 1912 building has been peeled open and that you can see out the upper windows on the Summer St. side.
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Oops, posted this in the wrong thread

SNAG-01777.jpg


SNAG-01778.jpg


While a better facade than the SCL building, it is in a less visually important setting, and does demonstrate that facades can be preserved and built upon.

Pictures from Gale's PowerPoint show at MIT on their projects, including One Franklin (AKA Filenes).
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

I thought I wouldn't be pissy but can't help myself.

Where are the cop cars?
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

God there are a lot of fat people in those renderings. Now I see why we have those stylized ones.

I object to the street wall being taken up by one retailer but I don't think it is as bad as what is down the street, blank walls. Supermarkets are what we have and we have to accept that.
 
Re: Filene's

I didn't want to hijack the SC&L thread so I'll repost the images here:

SNAG-01777.jpg


SNAG-01778.jpg


Am I the only one who will miss the awning? I realize it wasn't the original one and the building is much more modern looking without it, but to me it looks naked.
*shrug*
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

'Fresh Market' is a placeholder, not a real business. I don't think they've decided yet how many separate first-floor storefronts they will rent. Also, Filene's was a "street wall taken up by one retailer".

Really though, we should move these posts back to the Filene's thread.
 
Re: Filene's

I too will miss the awning around Filenes. I loved the old, sheltered feeling I got whenever I walked under the awning at Filenes, especially when it was raining. I also think it a shame that they took away the opening at the corner where they used to sell flowers and fruit. I suppose what is not in the rendering here are the street vendors with their carts, but even with them lining the street, it won't make up for the loss of the awning aesthetic. If one looks at pictures of downtown Boston at the turn of the century, what makes it look so inviting and interesting are all the awnings over the street level storefronts. To do away with this tradition in this, of all cities, I think it's a shame really.
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

Actually, Fresh Market is a real business...it's a very nice, very upscale grocery store chain found in mostly southern states though it's expanding into the midwest.
 
Re: Filene's

I agree they really should put back the awning. It makes the space more intimate but also helps to shade people from the sun and rain. Although the addition of some trees could certainly be a nice thing as well!
 
Re: Filene's

I'd love trees in the middle of the street, but they'd interfere with the (unfortuante) need to allow delivery trucks.
 
Re: Filene's

The streets are narrower, the people fatter and the faces whiter. What is this, Filene's at Munich Crossing? Sketch in some lederhosen and a St. Pauli girl or two while you are at it, Herr Speer.
 
Re: Filene's

At a recent retail conference in Las Vegas, Mayor Thomas M. Menino courted department store JCPenney and North Carolina specialty grocer Fresh Market to locate at the new project in Downtown Crossing. Local officials who met with Vornado said the developer is open to talking with these potential merchants. Officials for JCPenney and Fresh Market said the retailers are looking to expand to the Boston market, but could not talk specifically about the Downtown Crossing site.
Click to expand...

I found this quote from a Globe article in June....maybe the recent rendering's inclusion of Fresh Market isn't as random as we thought.
 
Re: Shreve, Crump & Low bldng may be replaced w/ new develop

vanshnookenraggen said:
God there are a lot of fat people in those renderings. Now I see why we have those stylized ones.
Click to expand...

My guess is the architect is fat too. And how ironic that there are so many overweight people in front of Fresh City.
 
Re: Filene's

L1060435.jpg


3/27/08 Filene's demolition

L1060438.jpg


The roof is being taken off of the 1905 building in preparation for the facadectomy.

L1060436.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top