Prudential Tower Observatory Closure & Renovation | 800 Boylston St | Back Bay

[bbfen]

They only (briefly) presented some rudimentary concepts on the observatory only because they knew they’d get questions. The point of the meeting and requested modification to the PDA was regarding the 8,200 sf change to the garden/lawn.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Let's be clear about what is really going on with the space in the garden/lawn. They want a high traffic volume public entrance to the lower level, so that Observatory traffic does not have to go through the 800 Boylston main lobby. All the "event space" gaming is lipstick on their required pig.

 

[bakgwailo]

Let's be clear about what is really going on with the space in the garden/lawn. They want a high traffic volume public entrance to the lower level, so that Observatory traffic does not have to go through the 800 Boylston main lobby. All the "event space" gaming is lipstick on their required pig.

Going to miss the pro-tip of going down a level to skip any lines to get into the Top of the Hub if they change the entrance.

 

[Jahvon09]

Does anyone know when this project will get started?

 

[cjbski]

It's well underway. Floors 50-52 are gutted (you can tell better at night when the construction interior lights are on)!

 

[Jahvon09]

I wondering if the open area will be closed in with window panes to keep out the cold air in the winter & climate-controlled with an HVAC system.

 

[squidman1]

Hopefully they'll leave the mall alone. The Huntington Arcade is the only part of the mall that's stayed un-whitewashed, just the same. The mall looked so much more vibrant before it was renovated.

 

[Jahvon09]

Hopefully they'll leave the mall alone. The Huntington Arcade is the only part of the mall that's stayed un-whitewashed, just the same. The mall looked so much more vibrant before it was renovated.

The mall was already revamped not too long ago. Does anyone have pics of the progress yet?

 

[Jahvon09]

Here's a pic of an outdoor slide to the lower rooftop obs deck at Bank Tower's Skyspace in Los Angeles. I don't think that we'll see anything like that at the Pru!!

 

[HenryAlan]

That would scare the living daylights out of me. I don't even like looking at the picture!

 

[stellarfun]

The skyslide is permanently closed.

For those not afflicted by vertigo, ....

 

[stellarfun]

This is the 'gerbil tube' hallway between the two spires of the Loews Regency (formerly Mandarin Oriental) in San Francisco. There is nothing under the floor but air for a long way down. Crossing it, I kept saying, 'not the place I want to be in an earthquake.' Would be a good set in a disaster movie though.

 

[squidman1]

The more I look at the proposal for the remodeling, the more I admire it. I just don't like the stark white interior, that's all.

 

[Jahvon09]

And heeere's (Gulp!!) the glass Skydeck featured at the Willis Tower in Chicago!!! Who feels like Superman?!!! Hah!!

 

[shmessy]

Glass floors are awesome. Took the fam onto London's Tower Bridge which now has one. Needed some dramamine, but really was memorable.

 

[Jahvon09]

Seems that the John Hancock Building in Chicago is getting in on the act with their own version of an extended obs deck!! Hah!! Looks like the Pru. has some stiff competition ahead!! This one makes it look like the building is falling!!!! Yikes!!!!

 

[Jahvon09]

There was talk that the Hancock Place in Boston would reopen the obs deck there, but it never happened.

 

[squidman1]

Does anyone have a photo of what the Hancock deck looked like? All I have is a photo of the view out the windows, from a Boston book circa 1997.

 

[Jahvon09]

I had some, but I lost them in storage.

 

[Jahvon09]

This is the only pic I could find of the one in Boston. Below is the rendering of the one planned for Chicago's Aon Center.