Shreve, Crump & Low Redevelopment | 334-364 Boylston Street | Back Bay

The developer took a well-scaled block and ripped down what appears to be 3 separate historic buildings to put up a single giant monolithic rectangle. One building taking up the whole block may fly in the Seaport or Kendall, but it's pure malpractice right on the edge of the Public Garden.
Yes, I agree with the point regarding aesthetics, just not that it changes the overall block dynamics.
 
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I will note that the Four Seasons is ten floors above a two story podium that has almost double-height floors.
 
According to the filing (and, well, counting) this is going to have 9 occupied floors (plus mechanical penthouse). By my eye the top of the steel is the roof of floor 9, so it's near topping out already. Pretty quick steel work. While I don't love this one, just get it done and open...

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Such an exciting development worthy of such a prominent Back Bay location. /s 🥱
I hear you on this. I will note that cycling by today, I noticed some of the stone facade is going up on the western edge. They're using two types/ tones of stone: a lighter limestone color similar to the LM building for the flat faces and then a darker, gray stone for the window inlays (than angle inward from the edges).

Would need to see a larger section to make a call, but so far, it does look attractive.
 
Thats definitely a plus here, if they had to do this at least theyre using limestone for the facade and its not just some anonymous glass landscraper. Plus it has ground floor retail. For what it is it should be decent.
 
Thats definitely a plus here, if they had to do this at least theyre using limestone for the facade and its not just some anonymous glass landscraper. Plus it has ground floor retail. For what it is it should be decent.
The amount of limestone seems pretty limited. I am seeing lots of taupe faux brick panels. Pretty uninspiring.
 
The amount of limestone seems pretty limited. I am seeing lots of taupe faux brick panels. Pretty uninspiring.
I hear you on that, but note that this is the Providence Street side, which in general, could be considered the "back" of the building. That gimmick of using showier materials on the main streets of Arlington and Boylston and inexpensive materials on less seen facade(s) is nothing new in construction in Boston or otherwise...
 
The brick panels are in the alleyway, no?
Yes, the brick panels are exclusively in the alley. The original SCL building had red brick on this south façade, with the added adornment of extensive fire escapes. The original building was a commercial school for women on the upper floors. The original building also made no attempt to turn the corner with the Arlington St. facade, which was a different color brick.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gwPq6vhA2eTeyJqPA
 
Yes, the brick panels are exclusively in the alley. The original SCL building had red brick on this south façade, with the added adornment of extensive fire escapes. The original building was a commercial school for women on the upper floors. The original building also made no attempt to turn the corner with the Arlington St. facade, which was a different color brick.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gwPq6vhA2eTeyJqPA
Brick on the back side makes sense. I was misreading some of the photos as showing brick on the Arlington street façade, which would not be great (even though technically not the 'front".)
 
Well, if anywhere in Boston shows resemblance to DC it would be Back Bay.

.....and the Seaport (I know, I know, FAA) and Brighton, and Assembly Row, and lining of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Alewife, and NorthPoint, and the Ink Block, and Allston, and Revere Beach, and the Dot Ave plans, and the Suffolk Downs plans..........
 

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