Pier 4 Condo Building (Former Anthony's site) | Seaport

atlantaden said:
Wow! Still no balconies!
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I have a couple buildings going up near me...balconies were all prefab and literally last things tacked on. It will have that pop of texture soon enough.
 
Balconies used to be poured as part of concrete floor slabs. You see this in a lot of '70s buildings.

This turned out to be bad news.

When a prefab concrete balcony exposed to the elements for decades finally decays, it's a pricey, but manageable issue. Someone just has to make you one and go to the trouble of swapping it out.

When a concrete balcony that's part of the floor slab decays after being exposed to the elements, it means you have a compromised floor slab that's kinda supposed to be doing other things like holding-up the building.
 
Balconies integral to the floor slab also equals bad news for the building's thermal performance. You essentially have a direct thermal path between inside and outside when the floor slab and balcony are contiguous.

It was actually somewhat of a big deal to deal with this in Millennium Tower's design recently...the upper floors' balconies had to have "structural thermal breaks" installed between them and the main floor slab:
https://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/08/prweb12881862.htm

I am guessing it is more economical - especially when you have as many balconies as Pier 4 has - to install separate balconies with insulation between them and the building, rather than to take MT's approach.
 
I like the texture of whatever material they are using to hide the mechanicals on the roof.
 
I really want to like this but whoever thought these bricks would look good should have built a wall of them first. When you get more than 50 feet from the building it looks like it’s made from concrete cinder blocks. It’s ruining a potentially beautiful building. It seems like the views from the harbor end units will be spectacular. Seems like the views from the side and rear units will be mostly of the ICA or the Commonwealth Pier.
 
Wow, I hadn't even realized that those were bricks/that was actually the final facade. I thought it was what would go underneath and that it was just slow to start. But you're right, that looks awful but somethings telling me the balconies will break it up to save this.

Otherwise, that curve is killer, especially with that glass at the end. At least the massing is nice on this one either way.
 
603 said:
I really want to like this but whoever thought these bricks would look good should have built a wall of them first. When you get more than 50 feet from the building it looks like it’s made from concrete cinder blocks. It’s ruining a potentially beautiful building. It seems like the views from the harbor end units will be spectacular. Seems like the views from the side and rear units will be mostly of the ICA or the Commonwealth Pier.
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DAVE said:
Wow, I hadn't even realized that those were bricks/that was actually the final facade. I thought it was what would go underneath and that it was just slow to start. But you're right, that looks awful but somethings telling me the balconies will break it up to save this.

Otherwise, that curve is killer, especially with that glass at the end. At least the massing is nice on this one either way.
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I think the brick color would've been fine if it had a polished reflective look on it so it wouldn't look so much like dull concrete. I too hope that the balconies will help break it up quite a bit. It'd be a shame to have spent so much time and effort on the facade only for it to come out so plain-looking. It's still better than cheap-o panels though.
 
They should have broken it up the way 50 Liberty broke up the glass with the marble.
 
WOW!.. A BALCONY! heh..

Edit: Sure looks like a tiny-ass balcony..
 
I have to admit, I had such high hopes for this building, but seeing it in person, I really am disappointed with the color of the brick on the long sides. Hoping the balconies add depth, texture, and interest, to break up that pale, flesh-colored siding. Also, the shape of the building, and glass color is great for the location, hopefully everything combined will mitigate somewhat, the brick covering.
 
The balconies will definitely bring it together. The facade is a mess right now, wait for it to start wrapping up and coming together before putting the nail in the coffin. Weve learned this before.
 
stick n move said:
The balconies will definitely bring it together. The facade is a mess right now, wait for it to start wrapping up and coming together before putting the nail in the coffin. Weve learned this before.
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Agreed .. we will all squee when this is done. Lets just wait.
 
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