South Station Tower | South Station Air Rights | Downtown

For the Vicinity lovers.

IMG_8036.jpg
IMG_8037.jpg
IMG_8038.jpg


And a couple shoddily-diddily photos of South Station Tower. (I'm just going to call them "artistic.")

IMG_8039.jpg
IMG_8040.jpg
 
The EGE said:
Is the bus terminal expansion open?
Click to expand...
When I was in last week the new half was still boarded off but you could see around the boarding and it looked ready to go, I'm assuming just final permits/punchlist. Same down on the track level, current fare gate installation mess aside, the entrances down there look ready, signs were up and all taped over.
 
SMCYB said:
Wow. When you scroll up and down on this photo and look at the dirty highway railing, make sure you take your Dramamine.
Click to expand...
A lot of that is the harsh climate, but a lot of it also is the tried and true Massachusetts tradition of having bridges and overpasses look dilapidated.
 
Charlie_mta said:
A lot of that is the harsh climate, but a lot of it also is the tried and true Massachusetts tradition of having bridges and overpasses look dilapidated.
Click to expand...
Funny. But I just meant that if you wiggle your mouse/finger to quickly scroll the image up and down while looking at the concrete barrier, it creates an optical illusion.
 
SMCYB said:
It's what people want who feel that flashier is better.
Click to expand...
That take feels a bit dismissive. Labeling the South Station crown as something “for people who think flashier is better” ignores the broader purpose of architecture in a modern skyline. Taste is subjective; what one person calls “flashy,” another might see as vibrant or forward-looking. Cities thrive on contrast and conversation, not uniform restraint (god and everyone else knows there is enough restraint in the Boston skyline).
 
bdurden said:
That take feels a bit dismissive. Labeling the South Station crown as something “for people who think flashier is better” ignores the broader purpose of architecture in a modern skyline. Taste is subjective; what one person calls “flashy,” another might see as vibrant or forward-looking. Cities thrive on contrast and conversation, not uniform restraint (god and everyone else knows there is enough restraint in the Boston skyline).
Click to expand...

Well-put. And Boston could use a little more "flash" in my (subjective) opinion. Driving up from the South Coast last night on 93, the purple crown looked great.
 
bdurden said:
That take feels a bit dismissive. Labeling the South Station crown as something “for people who think flashier is better” ignores the broader purpose of architecture in a modern skyline. Taste is subjective; what one person calls “flashy,” another might see as vibrant or forward-looking. Cities thrive on contrast and conversation, not uniform restraint (god and everyone else knows there is enough restraint in the Boston skyline).
Click to expand...
Yes, I admit it was a generalization. It may not apply to you and many others here who have taste. But there are many people amongst the general public who are less interested in architecture and simply think that newer, glassier, more-lit-up is better without nuanced thought about it. That's what I meant; maybe I could have said it better.
 
Dr. Rosen Rosen said:
My first walk thru/under. I do like it. One thing tho…it really darkens the interior. Also - what’s up with the glass panels in the last pic, are they replacing some?
View attachment 67938
Click to expand...
Comparing to this 1996 photo (Kenneth C. Zirkel on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0), the tower does darken the interior, but it's not just that:
1761102500004.jpeg



The biggest issue is the giant ads. They block light and add visual clutter, making the space feel much smaller. The ads on the back windows block one-quarter of the light that can possibly enter from outside.

Second, that ceiling is filthy. I'll bet it hasn't been properly cleaned since 1989.

Third, the large retail in the waiting area is awful. I can't think of any other major terminal in the US that has so much retail in the waiting room that there's not a clear sightline across it. Put the retail in the perfectly good food court and let passengers actually wait and walk in the waiting area.

Fourth, those light fixtures appear to be from the 1980s renovation and are long overdue for replacement with something more efficient. With the tower limiting the available natural light, there is a need for more artificial light.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top