Radian (Dainty Dot) | 120 Kingston Street | Chinatown

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Matthew said:
Brutalism has left a lot of people with PTASD.

Post Traumatic-Architectural Style Disorder
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I don't think the problem is brutalism but more the knowledge that the great, ornate architecture of past times is simply no longer possible, ergo we better preserve every last bit. It's bizarre if you think about it, how many technical fields have actually regressed in modern times to the degree architecture has? Every other aspect of life advances with technology. I suppose you could argue that there was a period when we stopped caring about "aesthetics" in lieu of pure functionality (modernism I guess), than changed our mind but somewhere in that transition forgot everything we knew about how to make something that looks good.

As for this building on it's own merit it's nothing special but compared to Kensington it's a masterpiece.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

I think a good chunk of NIMBYism is rooted in fear of being forced to live in or with "Soviet-style concrete bunkers."

But regarding regression, have you ever read "Dark Age Ahead" which was Jacobs' last book?
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

resisttheist said:
No offense, to any of you giving even a modicum of praise to this thing, but have you seen other buildings, anywhere? But this is just a residential tower, you'll say, or it's just like this everywhere else too. True on both counts, but excuses nonetheless. Awesome? What about a two-dimensional shape extruded 290 feet upwards and clad in an equally two dimensional array of materials that have nothing to do with this neighborhood could be defined as awesome? Let me grant that the convexity of building in plan is interesting and seems to respond in a way to the context, primarily just the physical shape of it. This is good, but design doesn't end there. That should have been step one, not one and the last.

This thing reinforces the notion that preservationists aren't necessarily motivated by the potential of losing some great piece of architecture, but by fear that what will replace it will be no better or even worse.
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You've totally opened my eyes!
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Matthew said:
I think a good chunk of NIMBYism is rooted in fear of being forced to live in or with "Soviet-style concrete bunkers."
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Probably some truth there. But the theory falls down when you look at the behavior of the West End toward new proposals...they live in Novosibirsk right now!
 
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Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

tobyjug said:
Probably some truth there. But the theory falls down when you look at the behavior of the West End toward new proposals...they live in the Novosibirsk right now!
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It's been incredible listening to NIMBY North Enders and West Enders wax poetic about the Congress Street Garage...
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

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Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Unlike the Berkeley Mass Ave building using disparate exterior treatment, it really works here and I don't have to try so hard to like this. It also compliments One Lincoln tower nicely.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

I think the best way to describe this building is inoffensive. It's not great, maybe not even good, but it's not bad. The curved curtain wall is nice, the precast on the opposite side looks fine, but I can't help thinking that the opportunity cost of this building is either the Dainty Dot, or the much superior version that K.Shen shot down that was 1) much better looking and 2) did a facedectomy of the Dainty Dot.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Coleslaw, don't worry, like most of us, you will go through varying degrees of like / not like with this building.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

 
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Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

^ Re: first pic: It honestly doesn't look half bad from that angle looking up. Very strange decision to use the colossal order only on one side though. That view could be even more powerful if both sides of the facade had a cohesive vocabulary.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

It is amazing how fast this thing is going. Looks like the entire skin will be up in a few more weeks. This has to be the fastest 25+ story tower to go up in recent Boston construction history.
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

BosDevelop said:
It is amazing how fast this thing is going. Looks like the entire skin will be up in a few more weeks. This has to be the fastest 25+ story tower to go up in recent Boston construction history.
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Bos ... Non Union Perhaps?
 
Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Boy, does Kairos Shen have egg on his face. This looks pretty damn near iconic from that angle.
 
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