Radian (Dainty Dot) | 120 Kingston Street | Chinatown

I am still of the view that this project was a 'bait and switch' by the developer. IIRC, the original proposal by the Chinese architect called for parking under, and then the new architect moved the parking lot above grade, and there went the Dainty Dot. IMO, Shen's statement was just cover for the 'bait and switch'. To this point, the street level on the Kingston St. side looks banal and cheap. Perhaps, the finishes will improve the product but I'm not optimistic.
 
kz1000ps said:
^ I gotta say, I agree with Armpits and his calling this the "wall of death"...it's antiseptic and lifeless and bears down on one of the few parts of the Greenway that actually has some life to it. Go figure.
Click to expand...

Let's rewind the revisionist history and see what was there in the days of the 'Historic Dainty Dot"

IMG_0309-1-1-1.jpg

7417923446_f762006711_b.jpg

ac819726.jpg


Now let's look at the result of the new construction

11988744344_7a5b583b17_b.jpg


11988342295_e3bfd32fb9_b.jpg




11988668704_ec0241acd1_b.jpg




11989081476_1188ab3fc7_b.jpg


11988537113_469e220d85_b.jpg


11989042186_ba3da382dd_b.jpg


11988202025_42831fc83e_b.jpg


11988559784_ccc2a86a51_b.jpg


Is it ideal -- NO!!

Can the interface with the park be improved in the next few years -- Certainly!
 
Whigh, a good illustration, thank you. But there was a third choice some of us had hoped for - making the Dainty Dot part of the end-result, one way of the other. (This may be the bait-and-switch some of us recall.)

This building has turned out better than I expected - I am guilty of dishing it early on, so happy to eat a little crow. But I don't care for how it meets the street, or engages RKG.

And I still wish we had managed to salvage the DD to some degree, even with its gritty visage.
 
Good riddance to that damn mess of a brick wall! Even if the original Radian (which was beautiful) was built, that wall was toast and I would have cheered the demo of that wreak of a brick background. Thanks for posting those before and after pics, Whigh. I really like this building!
 
^Yes, you've said for the millionth time how much you love the new giant blank black wall!!!! I can't wait to hear you tell us this again in the next couple weeks!!!!
 
armpitsOFmight said:
^Yes, you've said for the millionth time how much you love the new giant blank black wall!!!! I can't wait to hear you tell us this again in the next couple weeks!!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm pretty predictable! Glad you follow my posts so closely! Smootch! BTW, born and raised in Massachusetts, Bridgewater to be more specific! :)
 
Last edited:
armpitsOFmight said:
^Yes, you've said for the millionth time how much you love the new giant blank black wall!!!! I can't wait to hear you tell us this again in the next couple weeks!!!!
Click to expand...

And you've said the same amount of times how much you hate it. Pot, meet kettle.
 
BeeLine said:
Whigh, you forgot the best bit of the old DD.

IMG_1195
Click to expand...

Beeline -- No I like that kind of old Brick -- what I was commenting on was the backside of the Sainted Dainted Dot -- just like the Hawley Street End of the Burnham Building -- nothing to write home about

1250666588_3f67a1bfe6_b.jpg


Closer:
1250667586_8d45ad6d6d_b.jpg


1250668440_fe59137e49_b.jpg


1250668964_f09c1ff9c1_b.jpg


I guess we have to accept the fact that buildings have to have a "backside" where there are loading docks or at least entrances to loading docks, and such

The alternative is to build an entirely under-laid grid of "support streets" where this "unpleasantness" happens away from the sight of the public -- this is a bit like the new university city at KAUST [King Abdula University of Science and Technology] in Saudi Arabia where there is a secret level under the classrooms and lecture halls so that the all-male janitor corps can provide services unseen by the mixed male and female students and faculty
 
Last edited:
whighlander said:
Let's rewind the revisionist history and see what was there in the days of the 'Historic Dainty Dot"
Click to expand...

So you quote 300 pictures to infer that I'm holding on to yesterday? Or did you do that to show me what was there before was no better? What, am I supposed to say "oh, it was a lost cause no matter what!" or something?

whighlander said:
I guess we have to accept the fact that buildings have to have a "backside"
Click to expand...

No shit Sherlock. My criticism is about the choice of materials they used to hide the uglier service areas, not whether buildings should be allowed to have assholes or not.
 
Clearly, we can all disagree. For some of us, perhaps many of us, The DD is a loss (back side notwithstanding), and the new building is not an overwhelming success (backside withstanding).
 
Personally, I think the so-called "Wall of Death" is better in terms of "interaction" than what was there before. Yes the Dainty Dot was a tragic loss that could have been saved if our city had better and bolder planners, but it is better than the backside of a dilapidated structure that looks like it came from one of the abandoned areas of Detroit. I would say otherwise if there were investment to renovate the old building....but there wasn't.
 
Forget about the Dainty Dot; I still don't understand why whighlander dragged it into the conversation.

Judged on its own terms the wall sucks, plain and simple. I'm fine with the rest of the building but it's unfortunate they treated the park frontage as the ass end of the building.
 
I dunno, the Dainty Dot looked raggedy, more 1970's South Bronx than historic landmark. On the other hand, I am really happy the Filene's building facade is being saved.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top