Renovations to BPL's Johnson Wing | Back Bay

Lads, though the Johnson Wing is boxy and bulky, Brutalism is a misnomer.

Most obvious, the building is clad in granite from the same quarry as the McKim Building. There's no exposed board-formed concrete anywhere in the building.

What we have here is a kind of proto-Postmodernist collage, with massing informed by Louis Kahn and Frank Lloyd Wright. I was probably in a shitty mood when I wrote this, just seven years ago.

I dig the refreshed interior. The undulating wood ceiling alludes to Alvar Aalto's Viipuri Library. And the bright colors and fractile carpeting show the influence of Rem Koolhaas's Seattle Central Library.
 
Be careful ... Whigh is going to demerit you for using industry jargon.

If it is big, and heavy looking ... just call it Brutal.

cca
 
Beton Brut said:
I'll split the difference -- call it Post-Brutalist, on the strength of the exterior cladding. The former Bank Of Boston tower is another example, its heavy cantilevered massing clad in acres of polished granite.
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Beton Brut -- I think you are close -- this revision to the Johnstrosity -- is trully transformative -- I suddenly kinda like it :eek:

Johnson was clearly moving toward Post Modern in 1970 and he did claim the building was an homage to Mckim's work-- but Johnson still couldn't give up pounding us with the Medieval Massiveness of the Bunker that he juxtaposed with the delicate Renaissance of McKim

This renovation has reduced the Brutalizing nature of the Bunker on the outside -- we are no longer preparing to be stormed by the Vikings [in their bad storm-every-port-city era] - the Vikings have settled down and been Christianized. We aren't ready for the Renaissance -- yet -- but Gothic Cathedrals like Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris are rising [on islands such as Ile de France in the Seine]

The transformation of the Johnson is a bit like what happened to Vienna or Kraków, after the Medieval city walls were taken down and replaced by the Ringstrasse [Vienna]
1024px-Wien1858.jpg


or the Planty[Kraków]
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in the era of Franz I [Austro-Hungary]

Actually, the analogy to the transformation of Krakow is quite apt -- there is enough of Johnson's Medieval Massive to let us know what it once all was like -- and yet the rest is now open and inviting

Similarly there are a few bits of the Old wall in Kraków to hint at the former defensive wall -- specifically Feliks Radwański of Jagiellonian University managed to convince the Session of the Senate of the Republic of Kraków to preserve [the St Florian Gate {Brama Floriańska
1342-4_brama_florianska.jpg

and the Barbakan]
31-krakow-barbakan-muzeum-historyczne.jpg


the rest is now Krakow's Emerald Necklace of Gardens known as the Planty
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in the aerial photo the Barbakan and Brama Floriańska) in Kraków, can be seen to the lower right with the barkakan surrounded by the Planty

The real question about the nely renovated BPL -- still to be answered when things open-up in a few weeks -- How does the Johnson wing connect internally to the McKim? --
Diagram-of-Boylston-Street-side-as-is.jpg
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Johnson's solution always felt awkward and contrived
 
whighlander said:
The real question about the nely renovated BPL -- still to be answered when things open-up in a few weeks -- How does the Johnson wing connect internally to the McKim?
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No change, still the same. They've always kept open some portion of the Johnson Building and similarly have always kept that single corridor connecting with the McKim open on whichever floor was open.

 
elemenoh said:
On this map, can anyone explain the difference between an "Elevator" and a "Lift"?
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Well, based on their locations in the building it would seem to indicate a device for people and one for materials...
 
Equilibria said:
Well, based on their locations in the building it would seem to indicate a device for people and one for materials...
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Looks to me like those are locations for accessibility "lifts" -- accommodating different floor levels in McKim and Johnson.
 
Wandered around the new wing today. Wow. Just wow. This project has not disappointed; it really looks like the major cultural resource it is. They've opened up the interior spaces in a very dramatic way with lots of seating around the peripheries looking out onto the streets on 3 sides. The main staircase looks more impressive in this context--has the sculptural impact I think it aspired to but never quite had--and two secondary staircases that kind of float between floors. Because the space is so opened, you can see the various departments with common design elements that really make the space look so much bigger because the departments dialogue so nicely. The main reception area on Boylston looks like it's aiming to have a lot of neat content on interactive screens whose themes will shift daily (though what is up there now is not too exciting). Yet to be built is the café (same folks that do the Map Room--decent stuff) and a WGBH studio where, presumably, interviews and programs can be recorded in front of the café audience.
Other bits and pieces are unfinished inside and outside as well. I like the outside a lot too, but the laptop tables are unfinished so it's hard to know what that final product will look like. The only really sour note is the new sign out front that says "Boston Public Library. Free to All" in about 10 different languages. Neat idea, but the three sections of the steel placard that sign is engraved on (it's maybe 15 feet long) are about 1/3 of an inch out of whack so that the lettering is VERY noticeably uneven. Yeah, small thing, but a very visible flaw in an otherwise flawless project. Now if they just had a downstairs screening room that played classic/foreign film in the evenings or a recital space for local musicians it would be the whole package. But not complaining!
 
datadyne007 said:
My photos from today:

Key highlight is the new ground floor connection to the McKim Building right at the Leventhal Map Center via stairs & a new glass elevator. To achieve this connection, they had to cut through 2'-0" thick walls of both the McKim & Johnson Buildings. Le Messurier found a way to make it possible:



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Datadyne -- that alone justifies the project -- Johnson did such a pure Krap job of the connection -- perhaps because of the somewhat natural fear of touching a work of art [McKim's work]
 
I should note that this connection will be closed again for a few more weeks now because it's not done. They had anticipated it being done for opening day, but fell behind schedule due to the structural complexity and tried to accelerate the finish work to compensate. As you can see, the finishes are incomplete. It was just done enough to open it for the opening ceremony.

Also, Bill Rawn revealed yesterday that it was actually Reed Hilderbrand who pushed for the sidewalk trees, as they were not originally in the design. I had assumed it was the City of Boston. Additionally, the "Civic Table" out front will have power outlets for people to work outside together. The Civic Table is currently unpowered and incomplete.

A BPL staff member also revealed some things to me. The giant granite blocks that were along Boylston were of course removed, but they were actually then cut down and integrated into the sidewalk (the original ones remain in the back of the building). You can actually see them embedded in the sidewalk, sort of like the Freedom Trail or the Berlin Wall line. Also, to compensate for Rabb being closed for a year, they are doubling up their performances that will take place in Rabb for the next year. Finally, the tall light poles out along Boylston are designed to be removed for the Boston Marathon to allow for the seating to be placed there.

General observation: All the BPL staff members I talked with yesterday have a remarkable knowledge and passion for this project. It's very clear how proud they are (and rightly so).
 
The basement bathrooms were confusing. You go through an opening with a Mens room sign, but then are presented with 3 unlabeled closed doors. It was the one on the left. The others were locked. Of course it was the last one I tried. I looked dumb.
 
sm89 said:
The basement bathrooms were confusing. You go through an opening with a Mens room sign, but then are presented with 3 unlabeled closed doors. It was the one on the left. The others were locked. Of course it was the last one I tried. I looked dumb.
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Yeah haha. The sign next to the door was missing for some reason. Womens had a sign next to the door. You didn't look dumb. You looked like everyone else.
 
Would one of the moderators please private message me to explain why the comments following data's last comment were removed. I do think that, at the very least, the people who commented that had their posts were removed should be notified as to why. In all my years on this site, I've never seen such a number of comments removed so arbitrarily. Thanks.
 
atlantaden said:
Would one of the moderators please private message me to explain why the comments following data's last comment were removed. I do think that, at the very least, the people who commented that had their posts were removed should be notified as to why. In all my years on this site, I've never seen such a number of comments removed so arbitrarily. Thanks.
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I requested the removal. We'll have to leave it at that.
 
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