MXD Residential Tower | 121 Broadway | Kendall Square

[taketern]

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Love the first picture. For those of us living in exile, getting an occasional shot from a distance at street level is nice for orienting where a project is.

 

[Smuttynose]

2-8-2025

 

[bigpicture7]

I wish there more renders showing how this is going to affect the cambridge skyline from across the charles.

All ive ever seen is this...

It's not hugely better, but they did just post an update of that older render with the latest 121 Broadway tower design:

From planning board document: https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media...p315/Amend3/sp315_amend3appvol2_202502025.pdf

This was included in the separate new proposal for 105 Broadway that just posted. aB thread started here:

105 Broadway Redevelopment | MXD | Kendall Square

Creating a new thread for this proposed project to avoid confusion with the other major MXD buildings u/c in Kendall. As mentioned elsewhere on aB, Boston Properties is proposing redeveloping/expanding the current commercial building at 105 Broadway, Cambridge. The Planning Board documentation...

archboston.com

 

[RandomWalk]

 

[bigpicture7]

2nd floor formwork now going up (3/7):

 

[johnmcboston]

Saw that framework as well this week - I guess this will be a concrete building and not a steel building. (Not sure if concrete is used more for residential or if this is just a financial decision..)

 

[bigpicture7]

Saw that framework as well this week - I guess this will be a concrete building and not a steel building. (Not sure if concrete is used more for residential or if this is just a financial decision..)

A lot of high-rise residential is cast in place concrete these days...
One Dalton and Millennium Tower both are, for instance.

 

[cburns]

A lot of high-rise residential is cast in place concrete these days...
One Dalton and Millennium Tower both are, for instance.

Even SST flipped from steel to CIP concrete once reaching the residential portion of the project.

 

[DZH22]

Proto across the street was cast in place concrete. I remember watching the slow climb on their webcam.

Proto | 88 Ames St | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Re: Ames Street Residence | 88 Ames Str. - Kendall Sq. | Cambridge Windows

archboston.com

 

[bigpicture7]

Proto across the street was cast in place concrete. I remember watching the slow climb on their webcam.

Proto | 88 Ames St | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Re: Ames Street Residence | 88 Ames Str. - Kendall Sq. | Cambridge Windows

archboston.com

I miss those project webcams. I tried and failed to find one for this project. From photos upthread, it seems @RandomWalk 's elevated photos are the closest thing we're going to get to a webcam for this project.

However, my search did yield this new info-video on BXP's current MXD projects, which overview this tower, the park, and 290 Binney. Worth a quick viewing:

https://vimeo.com/1061362819/666b6738e8

 

[RandomWalk]

Someone should MacGyver a webcam on the top of the stairs in the Yellow Garage. It has a clear view of the site over Danny Lewin Park.

 

[stick n move]

I miss those project webcams. I tried and failed to find one for this project. From photos upthread, it seems @RandomWalk 's elevated photos are the closest thing we're going to get to a webcam for this project.

However, my search did yield this new info-video on BXP's current MXD projects, which overview this tower, the park, and 290 Binney. Worth a quick viewing:
View attachment 60781

https://vimeo.com/1061362819/666b6738e8

That side of the tower looks very similar to millennium tower’s east face with the setback at the roof. Even the base is pretty similar to MT’s west face ground floor. The biggest difference is no slanty roof and the pleats are more numerous.

From other angles it looks nothing like it

This is a pretty dynamic building. Due to it being triangular and the sides being different, its going to look very different depending on which side youre looking at it.

 

[RandomWalk]

Today’s construction cam shots:

 

[#bancars]

Today’s construction cam shots:
View attachment 60863
View attachment 60864

As someone who doesn't work in construction or engineering, photos like this are just awe-inspiring to me. The fact that humans can design and build structures as complex as towers like this is just so cool. Will never get old for me!

 

[johnmcboston]

I thought these were some kind of wild 'twisted square' sonotube making an interesting pillar, but it was just an optical illusion. They are traditional circles with the name slowly rotated. But the internet says this makes a very smooth column. Learn something every day. (a company web site: https://www.sonoco.com/na/products/...bes-cores/sonotube-concrete-forms/finish-free )

 

[RandomWalk]

 

[obvious_bicycle]

 

[RandomWalk]

Forming the last high ceiling floor before switching to the regular residential height floors. Looks like the core is forming the sixth floor.

 

[bigpicture7]

Forming the last high ceiling floor before switching to the regular residential height floors. Looks like the core is forming the sixth floor.

Thanks again for the amazing photos of this project, random. Your commentary prompted me to look back at the design. It also seems that the floor is now going to cantilever outward as well to a create a bigger floorplate from this point up. Note all the temporary shoring/scaffolding (in red) holding up the upper floor being formed at left in your image, which jibes with the top of the more transparent glass portion in the render below. It seems there will be a lone concrete column that will remain outside the footprint of the base (far left).