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

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Re: Filene's

That is a great poster!!!

I wonder if it will help illustrate the lunacy behind the notion of the bailouts . . .
 
Re: Filene's

Welcome to your narrated tour of the globe's slideshow. My name is Shepard and I will be your guide for the next few minutes of your life as we explore a use of time that you will never get back. Let's proceed slide by slide, shall we?

1. Intro ... okay, get psyched to see some massive awesomeness of "re-imagination." Since imagination itself got us a hole in the ground, we're going to have to add a RE to that word if we really want to make some awesomeness appear in the center of DTX. Ready? Set...

2. Ooo, no go yet. We get to see a picture of the hole as it exists today, before its magical re-imagining. Ok, next slide must be the start of the exciting stuff. Ready, set...

3. Go! Oh, wait, this is sort of... umm... let's see. Vertical algae biofarm robot = FAIL. What if it turns against its human masters and uses its robotic arm to eat pedestrians and knock over the pushcart vendors?

4. Unfinished building with disco lights and beach = FAIL. Would look great under 6 inches of snow, right?

5. Sheep-infested boardwalk = contextual 300 years ago; today it is MEGA FAIL

6. Useless user-controlled video screen obscured by maintained perimeter fence = FAIL FAIL FAIL

7. Bike parking lot, movie screen, and befuddling silk-screened forest fence = ummm.... right. A most intuitive combination. Or not. Fail.

8. Wind turbine urban garden with foreground cows = MAD COW FAIL

9. Neon sign collection = Might marginally pass if only because it's temporary, contextual, and may animate the streetscape. Did I just pass one of these ideas? Hmm.. Just by being associated with this collection of ideas, I'm inclined to declare it FAIL.

10. LED video screens obscured by perimiter fence = FAIL. What imagination! At least add some user-controlled content, eh?

11. Astroturf plaza with happy people and sports victory projections = FAIL. Nobody is happy on astroturf. Even Menino, although putting on a brave face with his tricycle in tow, is crying on the inside.

12. Aluminum scaffolding hanging weather-beaten clothes = FAIL. If you can't explain it simply to your cousins from Ohio, it needs to stay in the realm of imagination.

13. Abstract apothecary chest = tangible fail. (See also previous critique regarding cousins from Ohio)

14a. Democracy at work! Apparently I can't vote for the big hole in slide 2 (which seems undemocratic and constraining if you ask me). I guess I'll be forced to vote for the neon signs...

14b. Democracy's sordid results: tyranny of the masses FAIL! 44% (at time of writing) elect large video screens. WHOA, screens displaying video! Can't see one of those at home, can you? Way to go masses of fail!

15. Oh, you thought it was over, right? Wrong. We get to do this all over again with Columbus Center! Quick, press the power button on your computer or mobile device to escape this nightmare for good.

That's all for now, and I look forward to seeing you again when the top ShiftBoston entries are announced.
 
Re: Filene's

One more word from your tour guide... Luckily I just discovered the globe will let you add your own design. I was surprised nobody went the "world's largest" route, like a "world's largest bowl of clam chowder" type of thing, so i thought I would rememdy that.

My design incorporates a "world's largest paperclip holding a fail sign." Will they print it?

paperclipfail.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

Boston: City of Ideas. Too bad it can't actually achieve anything.

I have an idea for a new reality show wherein GSD grads are appointed to the BRA with the task of pushing through one of their Tschumian schemes.
 
Re: Filene's

Design #2 actually seems pretty cool, just convert it at night/winter to a hardcore dance club with a heated floor and the flashing/pulsating lights coming from the Filene's building and it will be spectacular, a true public place at night where one can have fun. Of course all the neighbors will complain about the noise despite it being in the middle of DOWNTOWN BOSTON.

filenes_kinsler-FINAL__1251901168_5.jpg
 
Re: Filene's

The proposals are all nonsense.

If they lack the funds to build the tower, why not just build a decent eight-story apartment building with ground floor shops? Make the structure so it will support additional stories at a later time.
 
Re: Filene's

I'm assuming they're still hoping for an overall profit margin on the thing, rather than an attempt to cut losses.

Remember, developers think in $$$, not urbanism.
 
Re: Filene's

i think in the long run the filene's building is a good use for the site, so only a temporary solution is needed. because of that, i think the bike park, movie screen idea is great. its realistic, practical, and will also encourage more bike commuters. hopefully SOMETHING (anything) will actually be done at the site to make it somewhat less devastating to downtown crossing until the filene's building is constructed
 
Re: Filene's

That slide show is a crystal clear example of how what 99% of architecture schools teach, the design media promotes, and mass design culture celebrates, is utter useless garbage.
 
Re: Filene's

At one point I had considered becoming an architect, but one of the things that always turned me off from it was that so much of it didn't seem based in reality. There seems to be a lot of effort put into designing things that are impractical and will never get built. I suppose there are a lot of architects who are designing buildings and places that are supposed to actually be used, but most of what we see in the media is more like whimsical art than anything else.
 
Re: Filene's

cden4 said:
At one point I had considered becoming an architect, but one of the things that always turned me off from it was that so much of it didn't seem based in reality. There seems to be a lot of effort put into designing things that are impractical and will never get built. I suppose there are a lot of architects who are designing buildings and places that are supposed to actually be used, but most of what we see in the media is more like whimsical art than anything else.
Click to expand...

I have no problem in trying to push the boundaries of what is possible but these schools really seem to be setting kids up to be frustrated underlings for 20 years.
 
Re: Filene's

Perhaps the mayor could move his re-election campaign headquarters here.
 
Re: Filene's

Recreate Hitler's bunker complete with Eva Braun mannequin and play the film DOWNFALL in a loop on the facade of the bombed out remains of Filene's basement. ...or less macabre...recreate churchill's bunker and pipe in his wartime speeches on a loop complete with explosions in the sand pit.
 
Re: Filene's

Did anybody happen to save more of the renderings? It appears as though this one's already been deleted from boston.com.
 
Re: Filene's

I don't understand the objections here. I would like to see as much imagination as possible go into designs for temporary structures and uses such as are proposed here.
 
Re: Filene's

The objection is that many of them are laughably silly, e.g the sheep-infested boardwalk. Or e.g. every other one too.
 
Re: Filene's

Ron, I think that the objections are based on the utterly absurd concepts displayed on boston.com. They simply paint over the act of incompetence and vandalism on the part of the city and the developer. You don't paint a happy face on such things -- you hold them up as examples to drive forth real change.

As you well know, the "original" Filene's Building is a genuine landmark -- it's Daniel Burnham's last large-scale commission. I'm no engineer, but in its current state, I think we could lose it.

A viable plan:

ablarc said:
If they lack the funds to build the tower, why not just build a decent eight-story apartment building with ground floor shops? Make the structure so it will support additional stories at a later time.
Click to expand...
 
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