South End Infill and Small Developments

[underground]

I don't know what it is, but I think the addition looks much better in real life.

 

[jass]

Albany street, yesterday

Across the street, not a clue what this is

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

That thing across the street is just an exterior mock up. Thanks for the pics.

 

[jass]

That thing across the street is just an exterior mock up. Thanks for the pics.

A mock up of what, an abandoned elevator shaft?

 

[kennedy]

To show the materials, I thought.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

To show the materials, I thought.

Exactly.

 

[JohnAKeith]

Brought to you by Mr & Mrs Carl Shapiro, god bless them.

 

[underground]

Usually I couldn't care less about a bunch of wildely rich people who lost a ton of money, but I feel bad for the Shapiros. So much of their money was tied up in charitible organizations.

 

[aws129]

From the Globe:

Corner of South End attracts 9 proposals for redevelopment

By Casey Ross
Globe Staff / February 21, 2009

It is considered one of Boston's hottest development frontiers.

An industrial corner of the South End between Harrison Avenue and Albany Street is brimming with new proposals, including plans for a 265,000-square-foot hotel, dozens of residences, and the renovation of office buildings and worn-down city blocks in need of modern refurbishment.

"This area is really in its embryonic stage and has great potential moving forward," said Harold Brown, chairman of The Hamilton Co., which is building 50 apartments in the neighborhood at 601 Albany St. "It's ripe for a lot of mixed-use development."

Go here: http://www.boston.com/business/arti...h_end_attracts_9_proposals_for_redevelopment/ to read the rest.

 

[ablarc]

What travels in the yellow pipe? ^



Btw, all buildings in that photo have anti-urban massing. They seem to take great pains to avoid creating streetwall; this can in fact be explained as an unintended consequence of function determining form --often the case with healthcare facilities.

 

[czsz]

What is "anti-urban massing"? I like streetwalls for aesthetic reasons, but if the bulk of a building's facade doesn't line up against a sidewalk, beyond the first floor, is it necessarily anti-urban?

 

[PaulC]

The 'urban legend' is that when Boston City Hospital built these buildings they forgot to include things like heat and air. Just like the court house in Cambridge(big scandal) included a set of front stars but if it had actually been build it would have crossed the street to sidewalk on the other side of the street.

 

[jass]

Big yellow pipe actually appears to be a pedestrian overpass between two buildings, althought I guess it could carry pipes.

 

[Ron Newman]

That would surprise me, since usually human habitrail tubes are made of glass (for instance, at Copley Place or MIT)

 

[briv]

The yellow tube is the umbilical cord connecting the hospital to its mechanical plant.

The plant itself was designed by Hugh Stubbins and stands as an interesting example of 70's High-Tech Modern.

 

[Beton Brut]

^^ I'd vote it the most interesting building at BCH.

 

[Suffolk 83]

You know when you say there's anti-urban massing you probably should have looked to the south first. -Google maps helps-

 

[PaulC]

Until recently this area has been extremely dangerous so the hospital and BU would have worked very hard to be isolated from the neighborhood. It's still shady here. The hospital is now trying to shift it's presence from Harrison Ave to Albany St. I'm going to try to get on the hospital citizens advisory committee when it forms. I've also submitted my name for the Harrison/Albany corridor study but I don't have a lot of hope on that one.

 

[Beton Brut]

I'm going to try to get on the hospital citizens advisory committee when it forms. I've also submitted my name for the Harrison/Albany corridor study...

Awesome!

We need more of this!

 

[PaulC]

On some thread someone asked what that large building on Harrison Ave in the South End was built for. Here is the current plan:

http://www.sowaantiquesmarket.com/webpages/barn.htm

"The large power house of the West End Street Railway Company, on Albany Street and Harrison Avenue, is the largest electric generating plant in the world, and is a magnificent piece of workmanship, from the design of the plans to the installing of the powerful machinery.

http://www.sowaantiquesmarket.com/webpages/Building history2.htm

more new things at sowa:

Friday, May 1st (5-9pm) with "SoWa Sundays" hosting a Grand Opening Celebration for ten new galleries, stores and design companies who have set up shop in the recently renovated building at 460 Harrison Avenue.

http://www.examiner.com/x-1370-Boston-Arts-Examiner~y2009m4d16-Spring-has-sprung-in-the-South-End


PS I didn't get selected for the Harrison/Albany IAG and the Hospital will not have one, which is pretty amazing