supertall pru

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New Pru Spire

I apologize for the terrible quality, but I just made this in paint and its a general idea of what could be done. I think it would be cool to have a spire that can be lit up better than the one on there now to go along with the new led lighting they added to the bottom of the restaurant. It would be the same height but the antennas would be on the roof like the freedom tower so it would be taller while still being basically the exact same building. It could have some cool twisting design too similar to the freedom tower.





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I think the current spire matches the Pru to a tee. The top 100 feet are the only part of the building I really really like.
 
I think that could be cool, especially if it was part of a total renovation. There has been a lot of talk about recladding the Pru but I think that if they did it with some higher quality material that it could look rather contemporary and clean. It looks too 60s as it is; I'd rather take it back to some 50s modern or some contemporary design with an interesting pattern. There was a student design a few years ago that would add a pattern to the Segrams building by creating flair-outs in the exterior steelwork, and I think the same could be done to the Pru.
 
Sure....Though I would feel for the poor souls who have to climb up there!

Don't, they either like it or they know it's their job and they do it. I knew some bridge painters who loved climbing around the tops of bridges without a net, they were like monkeys in trees.
 
I think the spire there too is fine too but this one would be basically the exact same but be lit up better at night they could even just put a cover over it like they did on the trump chicago.
 
Don't, they either like it or they know it's their job and they do it. I knew some bridge painters who loved climbing around the tops of bridges without a net, they were like monkeys in trees.
Touche. You got me Van. I would feel fearful. Then again, my desire isn't to climb a spire on top of a tall building.
 
It's a rendering of a building in Dubai. Take a look in the background.
 
Yes I know that but are you saying that's how the Pru should be recladded or are you saying the city of Boston will build something like that
 
Nah. I wouldn't even want to think about hoping that something that tall would get built.

My only intent was to share it. I saw it and thought it was funny that the Pru (and 111 Huntington, for that matter) would be put into the background of a rendering in Dubai, but it also didn't seem that it needed a thread of it's own and this seemed to be the more appropriate option.
 
The new spire you propose makes like Pru look like a narwhal on a launching pad (and I don't think that's a good thing).
 
yea it looks bad thats y i said i did it in paint dont expect much but its the thought of having a spire with a cover over it that could reflect light that im thinking.
 
I just think the way the Pru is designed, with no setbacks or anything to lead up to a spire, makes it look bad with a spire.
 
The Pru doesn't need a spire. It wouldn't make sense to add something that references an angle to a building that is orthogonal from the ground to roof, with no sloping roof or anything. Note the contrast to the old Hancock that has a spire. Old Hancock has a sloped roof that draws your eye up. The Pru doesn't do this. It just looks tacked on and the current antennas are at a fine height for broadcasting (e.g. MAGIC).
 
It is what it is. I'd rather sweep all the antennas off the roof and leave it in unadorned pop-60's weirdness. (Like the Lincoln St garage looked 20 yrs ago.)
 
Like it or not, the Pru is a classic. To some the facade is busy, but it was designed in the era of the "decorated box," the same era that brought is this lovely motorcar. It may be the best-proportioned tower in the city. It could use a bit of polish, but leave it alone otherwise.
 
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This is Boston 02124's photo I added about 50 feet to the spire and kept it as is and I think it matches the proportions perfect.

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