Renovations to BPL's Johnson Wing | Back Bay

It's a huge improvement, but the Johnson wing still sucks.
 
Great picture with the John Hancock going up in the background.

whighlander said:
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SlothofDespond said:
The color scheme they went with inside is going to look dated in about 5 years. It's similar to the current late night show color palette.
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I've been through the McKim about 5 times recently, and still can't decide how I feel. It's bizarre, although not necessarily negatively bizarre. From the outside where you can see it right next to brutalist concrete, it looks extremely 70s. I think it works from the inside though. It's bright, which is nice, and the tone is just a shade away from the orange that would REALLY get it into 70s territory.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
Great picture with the John Hancock going up in the background.
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Czervik -- until they ran into the problem with the flex of the structure and loss of the glass - - Big new John Hancock was the MT of the 1970's -- rising at a blistering pace with all the latest construction technology on display including those cranes

The cables for the cranes started on a large drum on frame on the ground went over pulleys at the top of the project and then descended to the load attached to a traveling pulley at the ground
 
But how are we going to protect the books from the looming race riots and Soviet nuclear attack without giant blast wall slabs at ground level?
 
tangent said:
But how are we going to protect the books from the looming race riots and Soviet nuclear attack without giant blast wall slabs at ground level?
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Tangent -- that would be Russian Nuclear attack -- calling it Soviet is a micro-aggression directed toward Comrade [er President Putin] :rolleyes:
 
whighlander said:
Tangent -- that would be Russian Nuclear attack -- calling it Soviet is a micro-aggression directed toward Comrade [er President Putin] :rolleyes:
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Sorry looking at those old photos made me time warp for a minute there.
 
I always thought the Johnson Wing was a worthy (almost ideal) complement to the McKim--spare, elegant proportions that extend the monumentality of the McKim without competing with it in the least. Now that the bunker elements are removed, I think this is truly a beautiful "win" for Boston. The interior renovations are terrific as well.
 
Tombstoner said:
I always thought the Johnson Wing was a worthy (almost ideal) complement to the McKim--spare, elegant proportions that extend the monumentality of the McKim without competing with it in the least. Now that the bunker elements are removed, I think this is truly a beautiful "win" for Boston. The interior renovations are terrific as well.
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Tomb -- the Johnson is to the McKim as the Tower is to St. Paul's

if Johnson had any humility at all he would have built a glass connector linking the two much like the "Bridge of Sighs" linkls the Doges Palace [the McKim] and the Prison [his bunker]
 
Walked by this while in Boston briefly on Saturday; really love what they are doing here. Opens up the streetwall and really lightens the building heavy design.
 
I love the recent trend we are on of fixing up some of the pieces of the city that just need a little tlc to really become something great. This looks very good.
 
I doubt that has anything to do with the Green Line other than working around it.
 
Redoing the sidewalk, drainage, new lights, and probably tree boxes, street furniture, and/or bollards so nobody tries to drive through the glass.
 
I really like this redesign, it improves the overall feel of the building. Less monolithic, more airy, more open, makes the building feel lighter and more welcoming.
 
That wavy cloud ceiling you can see inside the lobby looks beautiful. Can't wait to see the finished product in person!
 
The street level interaction is infinitely better. I was over there a month ago and it already feels like less of a dead spot between Copley and the Mandarin. It's great.

The hulking mass of stone above street level remains horrible but there is little that can be done about that short of ripping off the entire facade. I can live with it given how great the first floor is now. Now to get some money for the McKim... it's looking worn in places inside.
 
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