Stanhope Hotel | 39 Stanhope Street | Back Bay

The existing building is tacit treasure.
We lost Durgin Park, 543 Comm Ave.... and now Doyle's is about to be gone......
If we keep losing places like this, we're fucked.
Facadectomy seems bizarre and unworkable for this.
BPDA: Out with the old, in with the new.
i surmise that doesn't go down well with most of us, myself included.
For anyone interested in Back Bay's recent record, i'll include an ad hoc list.
All the better parcels for robust development. Seems the unbuilt sites are preferable to this.
Off the top of my head for what's gone up in the 73 years since Copley Place --
and the far better ideas that didn't/haven't yet made it (please correct if i missed a few).

built
1. 1 Dalton 742'
2. 111 Huntington 554'
3. The Clarendon 373'
4. Liberty Mutual 331'
5. 500 Boylston St 330'
6. 40 Dalton 307'
7. Hilton 254'
8. 888 Boylston 242'

unbuilt
1. Boylston Square 650'
2. Copley Pl 625'
3. 1000 Boylston 544'
4. 40 Trinity Pl 446'
5. Columbus Ctr 420'
6. BBS resident tower 413'
7. Huntington Theater 400'
8. 380 Stewart/JHT #3 388'
9. BBS office 388'
10. BBS tower 3 325'

unplanned sites
1. Midtown Hotel 1
2. Midtown Hotel 2
3. 1076 Boylston
4. Lord & Taylor
5. upgrades + highrise for Sheraton (east end of the property)
6. Church of CS Garage
7. Hynes Auditorium (south corner of the bldg can go tall)
 
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Equilibria said:
I sympathize with wanting to save this building, but there's no reason that a 30-year-old at a regulatory agency would have any less "background" in buildings from the 19th Century than a 55-year-old, or a 30-year-old in 1975.
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While I understand your statement, it has less to do with the understanding of buildings and architecture and more with grasping the overall historical context that makes a city unique. This comes with time and experience of living and working in the city and getting to know the threads of it's cultural past and present. For example, I actually liked gritty, grimy Park Square before it was sanitized with overpriced condos, kitchen retail, mediocre restaurants, and blank walls. I wonder what might have happened to Stanhope St. had Columbus Center been build. Perhaps it would have had a new purpose as a "seam" connecting the older with the new, a pedestrian's destination. Right now I agree it's kind of lost amid the mess made by the Turnpike, but that's also the charm of this building. A survivor amid the chaos. (btw, does anyone use that little park nearby?) My generation bridged the gap between pre-WWII Boston and post-New Boston with all the attending mistakes (the loss of the West End, Scollay Sq., the urban fabric destroyed for the Expressway), mediocrities (the Transportation building, among others), and triumphs. Living experience cannot be duplicated by reading and research alone. There's the "feel" of a city that transcends the generations and that cannot be replaced as newer generations take charge. Boston could easily become a pastiche of pseudo-historical "experiences" like Disney World instead of a logical whole like old Savanna. Boston is in constant danger of becoming generic as it's "feel" dissipates.
 
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I got an idea for how to save the building: There is a strong dislike of fake podiums, and facadectomies. Screw the procedure: Do a fake brick podium continuation of the historic facade for 5 or 6 floors, with a shiny Alucobond, 231' neighborhood supertall towering over Back Bay.
Keep the amenity floors, and some hotel floors within the faux podium. This is way better than losing the facade. The pursuit of "perfect" will doom this, man.
 
Hopefully friendly toast will find new digs close by if it does include it. Place is pretty darn good
 
A tipping point is only a tipping point when you pass it. I worry Boston is approaching a tipping point.

The city seems prepared to sacrifice anything that is not historically noteworthy. Is this building significant, no. The best use of valuable land, no. Architecturally distinguished, no. It is quirky, an intimate passageway, and home to neighborhood haunts. It is valuable for another reason - common history resonates here. This is my neighborhood, I know. A shared collective memory, common history, is important. A block without history is like a person without a biography. In a word, boring.

For a thriving city like ours, change is unavoidable and needed, but we are making mistakes when we lose so many buildings that help to make our city what it is. Particularly painful when one considers what we tend to build as a replacement.

It is time, I think, our mayor pay attention. If I'm right this tipping point may well be his legacy.
 
nm88 said:
A tipping point is only a tipping point when you pass it. I worry Boston is approaching a tipping point.

The city seems prepared to sacrifice anything that is not historically noteworthy. Is this building significant, no. The best use of valuable land, no. Architecturally distinguished, no. It is quirky, an intimate passageway, and home to neighborhood haunts. It is valuable for another reason - common history resonates here. This is my neighborhood, I know. A shared collective memory, common history, is important. A block without history is like a person without a biography. In a word, boring.

For a thriving city like ours, change is unavoidable and needed, but we are making mistakes when we lose so many buildings that help to make our city what it is. Particularly painful when one considers what we tend to build as a replacement.

It is time, I think, our mayor pay attention. If I'm right this tipping point may well be his legacy.
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I so agree with you nm88. See my posts Sept 11,12,13 re: this building and the issue you raise.
 
stick n move said:
Whos... its been a long long time since a 100% new tower has been proposed. Everything weve been getting is towers that were proposed long ago and finally made it through all the processes, stalls, cycles...etc. Nice to see something completely new on a new parcel for once. Its nice to see things finally get built, but theres nothing like getting eyes on something completely new and reacting. This looks cool for what it is imo.
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Stick -- are you discounting the dozen or so new towers in the Seaport -- the approval cycle down there seems to be about 1 year with construction underway in the following 6 months or less
 
Java King said:
Did I miss something here? Everyone is talking about the demolition of this building as a "done deal." I don't see any mention yet of the destruction. From the owner of Red Lantern: "We love the idea of a new hotel in this area and looking forward to being a part of the development.” Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but that tells me there is some preservation effort. I wouldn't think a restaurant would be that thrilled if they said "We are going to flatten your restaurant and you can re-open in five years in a new building" So, I certainly HOPE this is some facade or interior preservation, because it's an interesting and unique space. Does anyone remember the Bertucci's restaurant? Does anyone remember "The Loft" down the street that was open until 5am or so..........I never stayed till closing. :)
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You did miss something the Owner of the Restaurant while not part of the development team officially -- is the owner of "Big Night Entertainment Group -- the operator of bars / restaurants in Foxwoods, Encore, Downtown Boston and the Seaport and soon a huge complex at the Hub on Causeway*1-- I doubt whether the building to be demolished means anything to him - -all he wants is to move a restaurant into the hotel after its built

*1 from the website https://bignightlive.com/#about
Big Night Live will add over 40,000 square feet of live entertainment and nightlife space to The Hub on Causeway:
ABOUT
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The Music Hall / Concert space, Big Night Live, with its oversized red crystal chandeliers, beautiful wood finished walls extending up to 20 feet, flanked with a combination of photography and fine art, is a tribute to romance of past music halls and supper clubs. This space features luxury “pod seating”, a series of VIP rooms – including mezzanine viewing – and a long oversized central island bar and several smaller bars. With its 16’ tall red velvet panels that cover the window walls, the venue can transition into an intimate, A+ music hall and right back to reveal the bright lights of Boston. Accommodating up to 2000 guests, almost 1500 of which are in the music hall, the multiple levels offer every guest the best view in the house, fully elevating your nightlife and live music hall experience.
DINING
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The restaurant at Big Night Live, Guy’s Tequila Cocina, features Mexican and Latin “street food” cuisine. The interior reflects this diversity in its balance of raw finishes, urban art, plush fabric lounge seating, and a sophisticated bar. The event space carries the design of the entrance with walls of brick, rafters of raw wood, and large scale tile floors.
BOOK YOUR EVENT


PRIVATE EVENTS
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Studio B at Big Night Live is a modern event space designed with rafters of raw wood, large scale tile floors and a built-in buffet. The room features floor-to-ceiling windows and a private bar for dinner events and private receptions. Studio B can hold 440 guests for a reception or more than 200 guests seated. Contact us to book your next event.
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I can only imagine how much SOM is going to charge for a smoke-and-mirrors show that'll boil down to "three years and much hand-wringing later, market forces, air rights logistics, and fierce neighborhood resistance combined to ultimately doom the project."
 
I think y'all are blowing this out of proportion. These are excellent buildings from a bygone era. However, this is a 2 story building in the middle of the downtown of a city strapped for housing and office space, where there are already several 19th Century neighborhoods that are perfectly preserved and protected.

Let's take some photos raise a toast and then knock this down and build something new.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
I think y'all are blowing this out of proportion. These are excellent buildings from a bygone era. However, this is a 2 story building in the middle of the downtown of a city strapped for housing and office space, where there are already several 19th Century neighborhoods that are perfectly preserved and protected.

Let's take some photos raise a toast and then knock this down and build something new.
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Exactly -- this is not the Chadwick Lead Works
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Czervik.Construction said:
I think y'all are blowing this out of proportion. These are excellent buildings from a bygone era. However, this is a 2 story building in the middle of the downtown of a city strapped for housing and office space, where there are already several 19th Century neighborhoods that are perfectly preserved and protected.

Let's take some photos raise a toast and then knock this down and build something new.
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Yeah, I think this is the correct view. I mentioned the idea of preservation up thread, but realistically, these are not standouts, there are many comparable or better buildings located throughout this city. We shouldn't feel the need to preserve every single one. Remember, these were never intended to be focal point architecture -- they faced a rail yard when built.
 
HenryAlan said:
Yeah, I think this is the correct view. I mentioned the idea of preservation up thread, but realistically, these are not standouts, there are many comparable or better buildings located throughout this city. We shouldn't feel the need to preserve every single one. Remember, these were never intended to be focal point architecture -- they faced a rail yard when built.
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I tend to disagree, in that the buildings in question (not Chadwick Lead Works) are pretty rare examples of standalone stables/carriage houses left extant in the Back Bay/South End area. As functional architecture, they are pretty unusual examples.
 
I dunno folks, it's a nice brick facade but you've got to pick and choose your battles or else lose the room. This isn't worth fighting.
 
stick n move said:
Yea this building isnt “historic” but can we at least fill in the friggin empty parcels first before we start demolishing stuff...
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Unfortunately that would require government coordination of privately owned land which is not going to happen at scale. Development happens where developers can afford to buy development sites and often those sites have buildings on them. The public process does require an assessment of old building's to determine their historic and architectural value (Article 85) and if folks feel this building is worth preserving then they should engage in that process.
 
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SlothofDespond said:
I dunno folks, it's a nice brick facade but you've got to pick and choose your battles or else lose the room. This isn't worth fighting.
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What demolished / threatened structures in the last year were worth fighting for?
 
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