Radian (Dainty Dot) | 120 Kingston Street | Chinatown

[tobyjug]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

All of those different facades on it in the renderings seem very confusing.

 

[Brad Plaid]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Schizophrenic, multiple personality facades are an Elkus specialty.

 

[tobyjug]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Thanks for the explanation. It is a lame practice that is gaining traction to disguise bad massing. Not that this should be the case here...the parcel dimensions seem to dictate a simple shape, albeit one rendered "stumpy" by planners.

 

[jdrinboston]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

According to this rendering it looks to be a blank wall, which is hiding the parking garage.


8AANx

For the record, it does appear that the corner of the site by the park and Essex Street is not a blank wall. I believe that is where the restaurant is supposed to go and there is a rendering out there that reflects that.

 

[Hutchison]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Blank wall or windows looking at cars...not sure it really matters to me. It's not like the conservancy was going to tear down the water feature to allow access to the building through the park.

 

[czsz]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

At least cover it with vines or something. Or expand the water feature to cascade down it. So many ways to be creative with a blank wall; none used here.

 

[Beton Brut]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

All of those different facades on it in the renderings seem very confusing.

It is a lame practice that is gaining traction to disguise bad massing.

Schizophrenic, multiple personality facades are an Elkus specialty.

Word.

The best aspect of these renderings shows the reflection of better buildings in the glass curtain-wall of the cynical little tower:

8AANx

We lost an irreplaceable part of Old Boston for above-ground parking. Thanks BRA!

 

[atlantaden]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

And to think all that park frontage is going to be a giant blank wall. =/

Hmmmm, if I remember correctly, the side of the Dainty Dot facing the Greenway was also a blank wall, it was a wreak of a brick wall!! At least with these renderings, the vertical lines draw your eyes upwards where the brick wall was just that, a brick wall! I might be wrong but I seem to remember that the side of the new building facing the Greenway was to include a water feature, maybe those vertical lines are just that, the water feature!

 

[datadyne007]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Hmmmm, if I remember correctly, the side of the Dainty Dot facing the Greenway was also a blank wall, it was a wreak of a brick wall!! At least with these renderings, the vertical lines draw your eyes upwards where the brick wall was just that, a brick wall! I might be wrong but I seem to remember that the side of the new building facing the Greenway was to include a water feature, maybe those vertical lines are just that, the water feature!

It's true that the Dainty Dot also featured a blank wall, but the building was torn down and it can no longer serve as a precedent. Once you tear down the building (whether or not you agree with the act), there is an opportunity to start completely fresh; tabula rasa, if you will. This tower's design had the opportunity to engage the park and just flat out didn't. I know about the water feature, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a blank, dead wall.

 

[KentXie]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

It's true that the Dainty Dot also featured a blank wall, but the building was torn down and it can no longer serve as a precedent. Once you tear down the building (whether or not you agree with the act), there is an opportunity to start completely fresh; tabula rasa, if you will. This tower's design had the opportunity to engage the park and just flat out didn't. I know about the water feature, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a blank, dead wall.

I doubt that anything better than a blank wall would have passed approval. Kairos Shen would have said it is too iconic and would take attention away from the waterfall.

 

[piggiston]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Thursday, 4/18

 

[BeeLine]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown


120 Kingston 4/21

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Interesting they are building residential with a steel frame. I thought poured concrete was the way to do it these days?

 

[dshoost88]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Interesting they are building residential with a steel frame. I thought poured concrete was the way to do it these days?

Waterside Place?
Avalon Exeter?
The Victor?
The Kensington?

Nope, seems there's more residences built with steel frames nowadays than poured concrete. Or at the very least it's an even split.

 

[Czervik.Construction]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Interesting they are building residential with a steel frame. I thought poured concrete was the way to do it these days?

Van, I was about to ask why some developers do steel vs. poured concrete, but didn't want to wake all the civil engineers from their slumber. That said, it seems that most of the new residential projects in NYC are poured concrete, like this gem at Amsterdam and West 62nd.

 

[jdrinboston]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Van, I was about to ask why some developers do steel vs. poured concrete, but didn't want to wake all the civil engineers from their slumber. That said, it seems that most of the new residential projects in NYC are poured concrete, like this gem at Amsterdam and West 62nd.

I've been to both Toronto and Montreal in the past month and all the new construction in both those cities is poured-in-place concrete.

BTW...I hadn't been to Toronto in nearly 18 years. What a difference. A construction junkie's dream.

I'd love to get into a discussion about the differences between Montreal and Toronto. I find both places fascinating.

 

[Boston02124]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

 

[BosDevelop]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

The steel on this puppy is going up super fast! Wouldn't surprise me if they top this off around July 4th. Compare that to how slow the Exeter St. apartment tower is going.

 

[jdrinboston]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

The steel on this puppy is going up super fast! Wouldn't surprise me if they top this off around July 4th. Compare that to how slow the Exeter St. apartment tower is going.

In fairness, the Exeter Street tower had started to gain steam in the past month or so. Unfortunately, that progress was brought to a halt due to last week's events. I'm not sure if they are back to work there or not.

Certainly, among the least important effects of the tragedy, but an effect nonetheless.

 

[kz1000ps]

Re: 120 Kingston, 29 Story Tower in Chinatown

Why does 29 stories look so short in those pictures? Makes One Lincoln look monstrous by comparison. Also, I'm liking how the curve looks from Dewey Square.