South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

There was a crane swap out of some sort over the past week or so on the Summer St side of the core. A larger crane similar to the one on the Atlantic Ave side of the core, now sits in its place; still at that lower height of the former crane though.
 
One problem with South Station is that the wedge-shaped roof over the concourse is low, filthy, and extremely cluttered. Maybe the worst outside of NY Penn Station. It would be relatively easy to replace the roof trusses with something lighter and more airy, (it literally only has to support snow loads and mechanical equipment). The SST doesn't do anything to address it, and in fact it the tower will occupy a portion of that space, effectively blocking any future roof from accessing the sky.
 
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Seriously, what is going on here? Look at all this crap. Look at the filthy ceilings.

I'd argue that the bars and shops are actually a good kind of clutter because it makes the area much more lively, but the whole roof structure is a mess. Imagine a Moynihan Train Hall-style skylight above the concourse...
 
I don't mind the ceiling at all and kind of like the exposed HVAC etc. which adds an industrial vibe that contrasts in a neat way (IMHO) with the neo-classical of the headhouse.

The very visible and omnipresent water-damage/stains and grime all over the ceiling panels, however, really pisses me off.

Refurb, redo, or -- I dunno, novel concept: CLEAN the damn thing.
 
Relocate the HVAC units from the center area of the roof, remove the entire roof above the vendor area, replace with a slightly domed or pitched glass ceiling that drains water towards gutters on the edges.

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People entering the main hall immediate get a gorgeous view of the new tower extending above, similar to this sort of view (with similar rotating decorative potential):

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You don't have to travel to Seattle. We have a GREAT example right here in Boston of being able to see a tall building from a glass arcade.

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I think it would be an AMAZING idea to have most of this current ceiling be a glass skylight that allows you to look up at the new South Station Tower.

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MjolnirMan said:
Relocate the HVAC units from the center area of the roof, remove the entire roof above the vendor area, replace with a slightly domed or pitched glass ceiling that drains water towards gutters on the edges.

View attachment 35011

People entering the main hall immediate get a gorgeous view of the new tower extending above, similar to this sort of view (with similar rotating decorative potential):

View attachment 35012
Click to expand...

Great idea imo
 
So true, all of the above concerning glass skylights! The Moynihan Station in NYC, once the main sorting room of the US Post Office is a perfect example of a stunningly beautiful redo! Having said that, how lucky too, was NYC, to get this building from the USPS, while that same USPS seems unable or unwilling negotiate a move and give up it’s much
needed space to the MBTA!
en.m.wikipedia.org

James A. Farley Building - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
king_vibe said:
View attachment 35006
Seriously, what is going on here? Look at all this crap. Look at the filthy ceilings.

I'd argue that the bars and shops are actually a good kind of clutter because it makes the area much more lively, but the whole roof structure is a mess. Imagine a Moynihan Train Hall-style skylight above the concourse...
Click to expand...
How many people look at the ceiling?
 
issuu.com

Keeping Traffic Humming at South Station Tower - Issuu

Any new construction in an older, densely built city will pose challenges — but the expansion of Boston’s South Station into a high-rise, mixed-use complex has its own unique set of issues.
issuu.com issuu.com
Interesting article on the construction of the tower.

Concerning the skylight discussion above the current concourse of South Station, they would only be able to use about half of the current area for glass since the tower cantilevers over a good portion of the existing roof. (At least according to this graphic.) However, I still think it would be really nice to have skylights or a glass arcade slope up to the base where the glass windows start on the tower. Otherwise, the main concourse area will be pretty dark since all the windows and glass above the doors to the trains will be blocked.

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With the tower going up over those big windows, it'll need skylights to keep it from being a cavern soon enough.
Click to expand...

To be honest, I've never paid much attention to the ceiling, but it is already a cavern with the light blockage from the construction.
 
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