Rose Kennedy Greenway

Beton Brut said:
Isn't this a value-engineered riff on this Zaha Hadid design?
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no more than it is a ripoff of office da or un studio, which is to say, i don't think so. It's hard for someone to claim turf on "droopy" architecture in this digital age.

I don't know anything about these projects outside of what's on this board, but on first glance I actually read the Utile roof as being the means for a clever rainwater solution, which it appears to be now that I glance through their website images, whereas Hadid's just reads as purely an aesthetic conceit.

As far as this architect being negligent for doing the concrete work onsite "next to the ocean", I don't think any of us are informed enough on the specifics of this (or for the most part of us, on structural engineering in general) to really have a valuable opinion on this. There is plenty of oceanfront concrete architecture out there, cheap concrete at that, that has weathered quite well (buy a ticket to fort warren at this pavilion and go see for yourself), and there are plenty of curvey concrete forms that have been cast in place and lasted (pick up a corbusier book).
 
Let me rain on your party.

There's no way this should be an anonymous gift but of course it gets a pass because it's being given to the Greenway Conservatory, a quasi-public organization, right?

As taxpayers, we deserve openness in government.
 
John, what's the problem with anonymity as long as all the money goes towards the carousel. Isn't transparency in SPENDING more important than in DONATING? I don't care if Dr Evil donates money to rebuild New Orleans as long as the money benefits residents not bureaucrats.
 
The problem is that the bureaucrats/politicians know who gave the donations and when an issue comes up that favors them they might get quid pro quo special treatment (possibly at the expense of the taxpayers).
If the donation is open, then watch dogs can keep an eye on the donors to see if they get any special favors from the government.

At least I assume that is what John was getting at.
 
AmericanFolkLegend said:
John, what's the problem with anonymity as long as all the money goes towards the carousel. Isn't transparency in SPENDING more important than in DONATING? I don't care if Dr Evil donates money to rebuild New Orleans as long as the money benefits residents not bureaucrats.
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I'm not in the carousel business but how much does a carousel actually cost these days?
 
I like the carosel idea, although hate the "let the children design it" approach. Why not buy a Philadelphia Toboggan Company masterpiece like the one in Hull or at the Sandwich Heritage Museum. They do come up for sale from time to time.
 
Considering the London Eye cost $150 million on massive credit...and many other cities already have custom carousels...

Why complain about a measly mil? Even if it's source is shady...

This thing will pay for itself in the long run...even though it's gifted to begin with...

And we get something custom made to the space that it occupies...which this city needs more of imo. Instead of random Armenian memorials...

The Frog Pond & Playground statues are a good example of modifying something generic into something unique...cheaply...
 
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The first step in getting public acceptance of this is using "carousel" instead of "merry-go-round".

I live in Victorian Boston, let's take our mechanical chariot down to the carousel! Oo-la-la!
 
On that train of thought: perhaps we could convince the conservancy to turn one of the less breathtaking Mass Horticultural Society meandering paths and develop it into a dramatic promenade of Boston memes?
 
The Greenway rented the carousel?!! I hope they made some money from the thing, it was busy on weekends when weather was good.

What happened to the proposal for a Hot Air Baloon Ride on the Greenway?
 
Let's just get out what their long term vision must be here: Massachusetts State Fair! (is there really not one already!?) I see it now: pig weighing, state's biggest pumpkin, pie eating contests all year round!

Of course, you could just move the preexisting Chowderfest and ice cream festival thing (what is it called? Big Scoop?) to the Greenway, but then what do you do with City Hall Plaza? Oh right, Boston forgot it already had so much empty open space in its drive and obsession to create so much more.
 
there isn't a Massachusetts State Fair as such, but there is The Big E in West Springfield which considers itself a 'state fair' for the entire 6-state New England region.
 
Repost from Universal Hub:

Welcome to the Rose Kenne ... Waterfront District

I'm still not sure Boston magazine isn't running one of those "find the fake article in this month's issue, win $100!" contests but I guess it's for real.

In the October 2010 issue, on newsstands now, there is a short article by Francis Storrs with the title "The Greenway Problem" that breaks the news that the Rose Kennedy Greenway, I'm sorry, let me rephrase that, the three-year-old Rose Kennedy Greenway, is going to be rebranded as the "Waterfront District" in 2011.

It's not the city or state who is doing it but ... wait for it ... a "local real estate firm".

Boston-based branding company Kelley Habib John has been hired to handle the task.

Company founder Greg John won't reveal his client's name (shall I offer some guesses?) and won't "[a]t least until the client has informed city officials, Greenway neighbors, and Kennedy family representatives ..."

(Of course, it's always been known as the "Waterfront District" to residents, so I don't get what this is really trying to achieve.)

* The article has yet to appear in the online edition of this month's issue.
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http://www.universalhub.com/2010/welcome-rose-kenne-waterfront-district
 
good I can't stand the long winded 'Rose Kennedy Greenway' tag....it's so insular sounding
 
True, but do we really need to start going around officially naming every part of the city with the 'disrict' tag?
 
agreed...that's just too trendy sounding....

Though The City of Boston loves blowing up all of the historical cheese regarding our history why not name these areas after our founding patriots?

We can call that area the Sam Adams Square..we already have the statue...

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston...we can call the innovation district... Crankin Like Ben Franklin By The Seaport
 
Someone made the point on uHub that the Greenway tag encourages open space nimbyism around the area... in that case it could be a good thing to drop the Greenway tag.
 
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