South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

[Hufer]

Re: South Station Tower

Yes, that whole grouping of buildings is astounding. Where is that?

the new main structure (right hand side)is the brand new elbphilharmonie in hamburg, Germany, designed by Herzog & Meuron. To my knowledge-all the background structures are part of a massive development by the city to enhance & upgrade the entire area.

http://www.archdaily.com/802093/elbphilharmonie-hamburg-herzog-and-de-meuron

http://www.hafencity.com/en/management/development-process.html

 

[stick n move]

Re: South Station Tower

You need to calm the hell down.

LOL sorry im in Vet mode tonight for some reason.

The point was the truth though, just because someone thinks the tower doesn't look good doesn't mean it shouldn't be built.

 

[Jouhou]

Re: South Station Tower

In this particular case, what's wrong with a soulless glass tower? From the ground, you're looking at the old south station facade anyways. This would make for a better debate with a stand-alone structure.

 

[Rover]

Re: South Station Tower

People have a fetish for weird ass architecture. I absolutely don't think these odd German buildings would work in Boston. Trying something different for the sake of doing something different seems to me how we ended up with city hall.

Build it as is and call it a day.

 

[dotdude78]

Re: South Station Tower

People have a fetish for weird ass architecture. I absolutely don't think these odd German buildings would work in Boston. Trying something different for the sake of doing something different seems to me how we ended up with city hall.

Build it as is and call it a day.

Agreed.

And that "Wave" building in Hamburg? Disgusting.

 

[DZH22]

Re: South Station Tower

The wave building looks like a clunkier version of the Atlantic Wharf treatment. I still think it's cool enough, but not exactly the panacea for the future of Boston. What else in this picture is supposed to be good?

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: South Station Tower

The wave building looks like a clunkier version of the Atlantic Wharf treatment. I still think it's cool enough, but not exactly the panacea for the future of Boston. What else in this picture is supposed to be good?

The riverboat is a lot of fun. I have actually ridden on it -- it is a neat harbor cruise. (Hamburg has a very active harbor, lots to see.)

 

[SlothofDespond]

Re: South Station Tower

The wave building looks like a clunkier version of the Atlantic Wharf treatment. I still think it's cool enough, but not exactly the panacea for the future of Boston. What else in this picture is supposed to be good?

That old steamboat would be a nice addition to the waterfront. Someone could put a bar on it.

That German building is gross. A pile brick/stone/concrete? prison walls at the bottom and a stupid incoherent computer design project above it. I swear, that garbage is designed and built by people with no taste who swoop in and throw up their monstrosity and don't have to live with it for decades after.

 

[TomOfBoston]

Re: South Station Tower

"People have a fetish for weird ass architecture. " Boston City Hall was considered magnificent in the 1960's. "Just what staid Boston needed!" LOL

 

[Rover]

Re: South Station Tower

"People have a fetish for weird ass architecture. " Boston City Hall was considered magnificent in the 1960's. "Just what staid Boston needed!" LOL

People were using a lot of LSD in the 60's. I see a connection between that and love of the city hall building.

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: South Station Tower

People were using a lot of LSD in the 60's. I see a connection between that and love of the city hall building.

+1

But the fact that we have kept City Hall for 50 years, that is a really long bad trip!

 

[Jrubbs]

Re: South Station Tower

That is actually a really bad trip. I don't think anyone on lsd wants to ruin there experience by staring at a giant grey concrete structure.

 

[nm88]

Re: South Station Tower

Been in the building. It's thoughtful, fun and totally engaging. A successful mix of old and new. And a thrilling combination of uses as well. People seemed to be enjoying it when I was there. Perhaps one picture alone does not do it justice, but I suggest you naysayers give it a second look.

This is not about taste, it's about solving a complex set of challenges. Read about what they hoped to accomplish and you may think differently.

Would this design work for Boston, maybe not? But thinking out of the box - not for the sake of being different for difference alone - but to thoughtfully respond to challenges... and maybe challenge our preconceptions about buildings... and taste...

 

[odurandina]

Re: South Station Tower

The Ministry of Truth is every bit the dump inside as outside. Cramped. Dull. Grey. Maybe it encourages people not get on some trip about how great or important they are. It's like you're in a George Orwell novel and Big Brother might grab you at any moment and haul you off to the Ministry of Love a few blocks over.

Maybe the building is a healer.

or maybe not.

 

[Hufer]

Re: South Station Tower

Been in the building. It's thoughtful, fun and totally engaging. A successful mix of old and new. And a thrilling combination of uses as well. People seemed to be enjoying it when I was there. Perhaps one picture alone does not do it justice, but I suggest you naysayers give it a second look.

This is not about taste, it's about solving a complex set of challenges. Read about what they hoped to accomplish and you may think differently.

Would this design work for Boston, maybe not? But thinking out of the box - not for the sake of being different for difference alone - but to thoughtfully respond to challenges... and maybe challenge our preconceptions about buildings... and taste...

Indeed. BTW I added a link along with the picture, so there is a further understanding on how the ELBPhilharmonie building transformed the area around the Hamburg harbor- but I guess some people didn't even bother clicking on it..... too bad folks here seem to be sooo narrow minded....... perhaps is that very nature of why so many here love those "soulless" glass boxes in Boston....

https://www.instagram.com/elbphilharmonie/

 

[Hufer]

Re: South Station Tower

In this particular case, what's wrong with a soulless glass tower? From the ground, you're looking at the old south station facade anyways. This would make for a better debate with a stand-alone structure.

THEY ARE "SOULLESS"

 

[JeffDowntown]

Re: South Station Tower

Indeed. BTW I added a link along with the picture, so there is a further understanding on how the ELBPhilharmonie building transformed the area around the Hamburg harbor- but I guess some people didn't even bother clicking on it..... too bad folks here seem to be sooo narrow minded....... perhaps is that very nature of why so many here love those "soulless" glass boxes in Boston....

https://www.instagram.com/elbphilharmonie/

I personally really like what Hamburg has done with HafenCity. I have commented many times that it is a model for what the Seaport could have been.

 

[SlothofDespond]

Re: South Station Tower

Indeed. BTW I added a link along with the picture, so there is a further understanding on how the ELBPhilharmonie building transformed the area around the Hamburg harbor- but I guess some people didn't even bother clicking on it..... too bad folks here seem to be sooo narrow minded....... perhaps is that very nature of why so many here love those "soulless" glass boxes in Boston....

https://www.instagram.com/elbphilharmonie/

Do people here love those soulless glass boxes? Entire exterior walls that are all windows are nice for those on the inside. At least that's something. The design though, at least in the seaport, just feels like a bunch of random shapes. Inoffensive but far from lovable.

The Elbphilharmonie makes more sense when you realize the glass portion (including the concert hall) was built on top of an existing 1960's era warehouse. But why keep the warehouse portion at all? It's not attractive. It's just a podium for the oddly shaped thing above it.

 

[DZH22]

Re: South Station Tower

Indeed. BTW I added a link along with the picture, so there is a further understanding on how the ELBPhilharmonie building transformed the area around the Hamburg harbor- but I guess some people didn't even bother clicking on it..... too bad folks here seem to be sooo narrow minded....... perhaps is that very nature of why so many here love those "soulless" glass boxes in Boston....

https://www.instagram.com/elbphilharmonie/

So what's your point, that we need to turn the South Station Tower into a concert hall? Everything else in that picture is pretty much meh. So you come on here and insult everybody, but WHAT IS THE DAMN POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE?!?! You showed us one daring building and that's it. Atlantic Wharf does it better, mainly by actually rehabbing and adding to a building that was worth saving to begin with.

I clicked your link and, frankly, I don't see where you get off talking down to the rest of us. There is a difference between actively hoping for "soulless" glass boxes (this isn't even a box btw) and deciding we are better off getting something out of the ground here than waiting another 20 years. I am disappointed with the latest iteration but not every building needs to cry out for attention. I certainly wouldn't want a 200m version of that Hamburg thing here in Boston so.... WHAT IS YOUR POINT?

 

[nm88]

Re: South Station Tower

Sloth, true about the base. But it seems to work in person. Maybe you would disagree. I, for one, often like the marriage of old and new.

Hufer, good link. Thanks.