MIT East Campus - Kendall Square Gateway | Cambridge

If you look its really groups of 3, so its not wrong though jarring.
 
As other people have said, this looks better in real life. Pictures aren't real life. I agree that the gradient should have been done better, but it doesn't bother me as much in person.
 
DZH22 said:
As other people have said, this looks better in real life. Pictures aren't real life. I agree that the gradient should have been done better, but it doesn't bother me as much in person.
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I've only seen it from across the river, but from that vantage it still looks pretty good. I think it would look cooler if the gradient didn't appear to lose the fade for the last three panels, but it's not jarring from what I've seen and it's overall a handsome and interesting building that makes a positive impact on the dull Kendall skyline.
 
DAVE said:
I love it! I think it looks better in person too. It definitely has some better angles than others and the gradient could've been smoother but I think overall its a neat addition. I don't find these offset windows annoying like on most buildings as its much more subtle and doesn't feel like a "look how wacky our building is!" type of situation.
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I honestly cannot look at photos of this building and not feel like I have vertigo or something similar. It's the first time I have ever experienced it, but it happens every time I see these posts. It will be interesting to see it in person to see if the effect is the same.
 
I cannot help but continue to return to the same strong sentiment:
This would have worked so much better if the exact same massing were retained, but the facade had straight vertical (rather than offset) window channels and the gradient were either smoother or it were one consistent semi-metallic light charcoal finish.

I hope I change my mind, but it just feels like such a missed opportunity for something incredibly sleek and more universally loved.
 
ParallelLinesOpticalIllusion2.JPG


Nader Tehrani is a smart guy, I'm sure this effect is intentional but for sure they've got to be kicking themselves for messing up the gradient. Total flub.
 
He is a smart guy, but he is also more interested in ideas than anything else. These kinds of "experiments" are inevitable with artists (not designer) like Mr. Terani.

cca
 
cca said:
He is a smart guy, but he is also more interested in ideas than anything else. These kinds of "experiments" are inevitable with artists (not designer) like Mr. Terani.

cca
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But MIT would say that's what they should be about. This building isn't nearly as offensive as some of their others (Stata, Vassar dorm...). Even with the fugly gradient, this is still better than the Green Building and Eastgate.
 
Equilibria said:
But MIT would say that's what they should be about. This building isn't nearly as offensive as some of their others (Stata, Vassar dorm...). Even with the fugly gradient, this is still better than the Green Building and Eastgate.
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I was not criticizing this building at all just explaining that when you hire "idea based" designers ... you will get strong reactions. I am sure they expected that and have bought in to it.

cca
 
cca said:
I was not criticizing this building at all just explaining that when you hire "idea based" designers ... you will get strong reactions. I am sure they expected that and have bought in to it.

cca
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Shows you the difference between MIT buildings and MITIMCo buildings.
Buildings 2 & 5 are MITIMCo while building 4 is by MIT proper.

The others are not turning heads with their aesthetics, while this one is visually grabbing your attention.
 
What a difference a few substantial towers makes. Future RIP to Eastgate though.
 
Isn't Eastgate getting replaced by a similar height tower?
 
Have to say... like it with some lighting and some angles and not others... which is really a pretty cool effect from the angled panels. I wonder if there is like a certain angle of the sun that will make some cool pattern we haven't seen yet.
 
meddlepal said:
Isn't Eastgate getting replaced by a similar height tower?
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The direct replacement is a much shorter, low 200's cube. However, there will be a 295' right behind it which will at least partially maintain the peak effect from most views.
 
They should top that 200' cube with 250' of dorms to take it's proper place in the Empire that MIT has become. They can even make it brutalistic.... then Weigh can weigh in on how it's actually, really not that bad--like all their other architectural stuff (put up since 1958 )....
 
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meddlepal said:
Isn't Eastgate getting replaced by a similar height tower?
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You can see the height that the new building will be in this render where they didnt remove the old tower but still rendered the new one thats replacing it. It looks like its behind it in this picture but in real life it will be replaced by this shorter building. Also note this render doesnt have the mxd 2 residential tower, which will be the tallest in Cambridge until Volpe, which isnt rendered either.

Cyd1FswWIAAd1nR.jpg
 
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