Northeastern University Multipurpose Athletic Facility | 262 St. Botolph Street | Fenway

[Bananarama]

Such an uninspired design. This should be a great opportunity for some grand super-structure like other arena complexes utilize. Instead they're getting an '80s office complex blended with some trendy rounded corners and a gray palette (in brick, that might as well be metal panel) to match NE's other recent additions. Glad to see the critical comments from the committee architects. This is a big miss by P&W imo

 

[stick n move]

Y

 

[BronsonShore]

God, I hate everything about this. Odd, old little gems like Matthews are what give cities magic.

 

[BeeLine]

Sorry but I like it. The Matthews was a dump. If this was directly on Huntington Ave. I would agree it’s not an appropriate design, but it’s basically on an alley butted up against a bunch of railroad tracks . I think it will be a great addition to the university.

 

[FahrradFahren]

I think there's architectural cues you could pull from the 1910-1930 style of arena (it would look pretty cool). Without knowing the details of the structural engineering, I think it probably should be possible to build around the existing arena - take the pitched roof off, put a steel frame around it to support your other athletic uses above, and renovate the bowl. That way you can say you kept the historic arena while still serving your need for a multipurpose complex.

I would love to see an attempt at this. I'm getting really tired of the "we're respecting the architectural history of the area by using brick!" attitude.
I feel like I rarely see large buildings proposed in Boston lately that take any more inspiration from the past than the cladding material. (Some smaller projects, like The Whitney Hotel and the proposed 264 Washington Street in Brookline have tried much harder to fit into their neighborhoods.)

If the existing arena is really so structurally deficient that it needs to be removed so be it, but the new building could still be designed with inspiration from the original Boston Arena. I can understand an aversion to historical revival architecture if you're low on funds, but for Northeastern I just don't get it.

 

[Equilibria]

Huntington News article:

Northeastern reveals updates to Multipurpose Athletic Facility project, but faces concerns of unwelcoming appearance - The Huntington News

Northeastern University presented updates to the 262 St. Botolph Street Multipurpose Athletic Facility to the Boston Civic Design Commission — Design Committee B for review and public testimony Oct. 22. The project is intended to replace the 114-year-old Matthews Arena as a priority of...

huntnewsnu.com

Oct 22 BPDA Presentation:

20241022 262 ST BOTOLPH NU MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY BCDC FINAL PRESENTATION.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com

Rawn and Hacin nailed it. Silver brick is just a terrible idea for this location and climate, especially applied to a building with a curving facade, which just enhances the feeling that they wish they could do metal.

They also have pictures in the presentation of the University of Iowa precedent, and jeepers do those panel boundaries look bad. That's one of the worst-looking brick facades I've ever seen... I can't imagine how someone could draw inspiration from it, except for the idea that metal paneling would look better.

The BCDC needs to tell them to start over, ideally with a plan to save the current arena bowl in some way.

 

[Rip]

Northeastern eyeing a 2028 opening for the new arena:

Northeastern reveals plans to replace Matthews Arena with eye on 2028 opening - The Boston Globe

The new complex, to be built on the site of the current venue, will replace the venerable Matthews Arena, which opened in 1910.

www.bostonglobe.com

The project is awaiting final approval from the city and state, which will determine the timelines for deconstruction and construction. It likely will not begin until 2026, leaving room for the men’s and women’s hockey teams to open the 2025-26 season at Matthews. The process is expected to take 30 months, with the expectation that the new venue would be ready for the 2028-29 season.

 

[stick n move]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2023472450663837820

 

[shmessy]

Not sure if any of you have seen this - - pretty cool night - - and two very great videos on the history, etc.:

 

[TomOfBoston]

Not sure if any of you have seen this - - pretty cool night - - and two very great videos on the history, etc.:

I had seen that already. I noticed in the final picture they showed the arena before all the structural support was added.

 

[Arenacale]

This is just like the Garden demo 30 years ago. From Facebook:

Stadium Vagabond

🔨🧱 Stadium Vagabond — Matthews Arena, Boston, MA (1910-2025) - Demolition Update (February 28, 2026) 🏒🏀 Former home of Northeastern Huskies Hockey & Men’s Basketball 🗓️ Opened: 1910 🪑 Capacity:...

www.facebook.com

 

[BronsonShore]

I'm quite pissed at both Northeastern and the city of Boston for letting this happen. This place deserved to be saved. There is not another hockey arena like it in the entire world -- the entire world.

 

[22marc]

Rainbow

 

[BOS2BON]

I'm quite pissed at both Northeastern and the city of Boston for letting this happen. This place deserved to be saved. There is not another hockey arena like it in the entire world -- the entire world.

Did you see some of the bracing that Northeastern put in during Matthews' final years? Half of the upper section of seating needed to be closed off to make room for the supports. I loved the history of that building, but I think it was getting too expensive to hold together for much longer.

 

[Scott]

Well, the old building will be gone but a new better Matthew's Arena will still be there, in that place, with what's left of the original facade.

 

[BronsonShore]

Did you see some of the bracing that Northeastern put in during Matthews' final years? Half of the upper section of seating needed to be closed off to make room for the supports. I loved the history of that building, but I think it was getting too expensive to hold together for much longer.

There's no such thing as "too expensive" in cases like these. "Too expensive" is not something that can be objectively measured and determined. There's only what you value or don't value as a society. We decided we don't value what is arguably the most historic and architecturally unique ice rink in the entire world.

 

[KentXie]

There's no such thing as "too expensive" in cases like these. "Too expensive" is not something that can be objectively measured and determined. There's only what you value or don't value as a society. We decided we don't value what is arguably the most historic and architecturally unique ice rink in the entire world.

Would you be able to pay for it to keep it standing? I'm pretty sure a generous few million dollar a year donation would have been suffice to keep it standing. If not, then there is in fact a "too expensive"

 

[Jeremi]

I don't think that it was worth saving. There was nothing much left of the historic fabric. The original entrance arch was even embedded in a completely ahistorical and absurd brick encasement.

 

[BronsonShore]

Would you be able to pay for it to keep it standing? I'm pretty sure a generous few million dollar a year donation would have been suffice to keep it standing. If not, then there is in fact a "too expensive"

This is a totally irrelevant non-sequitur of a response to what I wrote, especially on a board that exists to discuss the built environment. There are many, many things I cannot pay for that I nonetheless think society should collectively value. And there are many, many things I think society should collectively value despite them not being the most economically efficient use of any given funding source. "Can you personally pay for a connection between the red and blue line?? If not than I guess it's too expensive!"

 

[Longfellow]

There is an argument that NEU let it decay on purpose cause they wanted a new arena. Whether that's true who knows, but it's not exactly an institution known for their scruples.