Novartis Campus | 181-211 Mass Ave, 22 Windsor Street | Kendall Square | Cambridge

Damn, she's flaunting her stuff and I like it! Beeline, thanks again for your awesome pics of this girl, and from all over the city! Love the way you show a building from many angles and sightlines.
 
I can't be the only one who thinks the stone thing looks like garbage and feels oppressive and closed rather than open and free.
 
meddlepal said:
I can't be the only one who thinks the stone thing looks like garbage and feels oppressive and closed rather than open and free.
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I am quite sure you are not the only one.

Having said that. It is a high quality piece of art. It is not expected that everyone like it. It is best if people think about it. Like you are doing.

Opine on.

cca
 
meddlepal said:
I can't be the only one who thinks the stone thing looks like garbage and feels oppressive and closed rather than open and free.
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I also dislike the stone. It is, quite literally, disconnected from the building. What is it for? You can slap some weird crap on any building anywhere. That doesn't mean you should just because you can.

I like the blue banded 128-office-park-garbage-tower more than I like the stone. The banded office building is, for better or worse, part of the Cambridge DNA. It at least reflects function in form.

Stapling some stuff to the side of a building is lazy and unimaginative, despite being unique. That is only my opinion of course, by all means let the critique of great "art" continue... ::eyeroll::
 
cca said:
I am quite sure you are not the only one.

Having said that. It is a high quality piece of art. It is not expected that everyone like it. It is best if people think about it. Like you are doing.

Opine on.

cca
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My biggest question is what is it like from the inside of the stone sculpture. I suspect rather oppressive?
 
fattony said:
"art"
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Nevermind. I don't like discussing "art" either, mostly because I don't know what that is. Art on the other hand is a pretty fascinating topic.

cca
 
JeffDowntown said:
My biggest question is what is it like from the inside of the stone sculpture. I suspect rather oppressive?
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Maybe your right. I suspect it is like any other brise soleil. Screened but not blocked.

cca
 
fattony said:
I also dislike the stone. It is, quite literally, disconnected from the building. What is it for? You can slap some weird crap on any building anywhere. That doesn't mean you should just because you can.

I like the blue banded 128-office-park-garbage-tower more than I like the stone. The banded office building is, for better or worse, part of the Cambridge DNA. It at least reflects function in form.

Stapling some stuff to the side of a building is lazy and unimaginative, despite being unique. That is only my opinion of course, by all means let the critique of great "art" continue... ::eyeroll::
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FTTY --- I don't think that I've actuially seen a " blue banded 128-office-park-garbage-tower" -- perhaps in Dallas or Arlington VA -- but there are few true Office park towers along Rt-128 -- and none that I know of which are both a true tower and Blue-Banded -- please enlighten
 
whighlander said:
FTTY --- I don't think that I've actuially seen a " blue banded 128-office-park-garbage-tower" -- perhaps in Dallas or Arlington VA -- but there are few true Office park towers along Rt-128 -- and none that I know of which are both a true tower and Blue-Banded -- please enlighten
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BeeLine said:
18726641456_477561067b_c.jpg
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I'm referring to the blue/gray striped tower portion of this project. It is of a style that people love to hate. See also the EF building at Northpoint - I hate the one side of that building that most people love, while the other 3 sides got nothing but criticism for being "like an office park". I don't particular love the style, but there is (can be) an elegance in the simplicity. More than anything people seem to hate it for its ubiquity. It is reserved and functional and can be made handsome with some care.

In contrast, I find the stones here pointless and sophomoric. Anyone can slap some superfluous contrasting material on the side of a building.
 
fattony said:
In contrast, I find the stones here pointless and sophomoric. Anyone can slap some superfluous contrasting material on the side of a building.
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They can, but they rarely do. I'm in the opposite camp as you, I like this a lot. It may be lipstick on a pig, but at least it's remotely interesting and offers a (granted very diluted) homage to the old masonry mill buildings in an around Kendall. Kendall is pretty grim as is, the few times something unique has popped up, it's been....nicely put.. underwhelming (cough Stata cough). I like that Novartis copped to this, superfluous as it is - it's better than "not trying" and "trying too hard".
 
What I don't like about the stonework is the metal bracing creating a grid effect. It breaks up the pattern in an annoying way, where it otherwise would be a consistent facade. From a block or two a way it looks better. Overall I like the design, gives the eye something to do in what is otherwise a pretty sterile landscape.
 
I like the stonework; it's cool and different from the rest. However, I feel like this building is going to be one of the several that, in 20-40 years, we will be begging that it be torn down. The facade is trendy, cool, and cutting edge, but I don't think it will be any of that in 20-40 years.
 
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