The Boulevard (née The Times/Littlest Bar) | 110 Broad St | Downtown

I wonder if theyll use some of the original bricks that are now laying on the ground to fix the corner they smashed. Atlantic wharf had a wall collapse and kill someone that they had to rebuild and it never matched up perfectly, although pretty close. Im sure if you dig through the rubble on the ground theres enough bricks that will match.
 
stick n move said:
I wonder if theyll use some of the original bricks that are now laying on the ground to fix the corner they smashed. Atlantic wharf had a wall collapse and kill someone that they had to rebuild and it never matched up perfectly, although pretty close. Im sure if you dig through the rubble on the ground theres enough bricks that will match.
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I believe there was a post some pages back where someone here asked the question on-site, and the answer was they had saved the bricks and would re-use. And you are right about the near-impossibility of matching bricks, even if the new bricks are from the same brickyard and kiln as the original.
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Having a passing familiarity with the issues associated with trying to preserve a 'historic' building, particularly when the intended future use is residential/commercial, its often current code requirements that preclude saving the interiors. I can think of one building with masonry-encased steel framing forming the exterior walls, yet this didn't meet current code because there were no firestops (in essence, it was the balloon construction that typifies the three-deckers that burn so readily in Boston). The structural engineers (two different firms) agreed that to put in fire stops and salvage the exterior wall, the interior vitreous brick wall (in good condition) had to be completely removed.
 
From yesterday morning. Starkly beautiful, I suppose--like images of Stalingrad circa 1943, etc.

What do people think about the green historic plaque [extreme bottom left corner] still affixed to the one lone remaining facade fragment--which is to say, how do ABers take its symbolism?

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i think: either preserving the whole smash - or 100% of every last detail of the entire frontage, (old part, less old part), side wall, windows, logo's and all... instead of being a remnant of it's former glory. Instead, so much of the frontage is gone. Better than nothing, but it's kind of a ripoff.
 
The facade I see standing looks like garbage. Why was that saved? It looks like Value Engineering from 1910.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
The facade I see standing looks like garbage. Why was that saved? It looks like Value Engineering from 1910.
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It is actually a Bulfinch-designed warehouse building facade from 1805-1807. Mid-Federalist and should have been saved intact.
 
JeffDowntown said:
It is actually a Bulfinch-designed warehouse building facade from 1805-1807. Mid-Federalist and should have been saved intact.
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JeffDowntown -- It has Bulfinch in its origin -- but its in really an example of mid Federalist Value Engineering -- this was a warehouse -- not a palace

I'm sure Charles Bulfinch accepted the commission found something he or someone else had done [there wasn't much in the way of copyright protection] and signed off on it.

Bach, Handel and many other composers cobbled together work for hire based on something already in existence

This building was what was left of the Boston Wharf Company with the time machine set back about 100 years -- utilitarian space for things not even for people

In the ensuing 200 years it got reused and altered a whole lot of times until there probably wasn't a whole lot of the Bulfinch left except for the general shape on one end

Still would it have been nice to preserve it intact -- if it was intact -- sure -- but that opportunity was probably lost 100 years ago

So what we have now at least is some of what that remaining corner looked like 200 years ago
Seredipitously -- an architecture firm migrted in reverse -- they left the Seaport District for 125 Boroad st [directly across the street] and settled in -- just in time to watch the process

http://www.sta-design.com/saving-bulfinch/
Saving Bulfinch
As we become part of our new neighborhood and community here at STA, we learn more about the history of Boston and more specifically Broad Street. Just across the street from our new office sits 102 Broad. A Federal-style four-and-a-half story building built around 1807 and designed by Charles Bulfinch. This building made part of a development scheme for the Boston waterfront area that was initiated and funded by the Broad Street Association. This is one of several Bulfinch’s buildings that remain in this area.

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Most of these early nineteenth century buildings were used as warehouses or stores for goods that were unloaded at the wharves. They made part of the Custom House District, which at the time was the center of Boston economic life. Today, Broad Street represents an important remnant of early nineteenth-century commerce through the survival of these buildings.

As the city continues to grow and thrive, the old makes way for the new. Maintaining a balance between modern and classic architecture has been a characteristic of Boston. Historic 102 Broad Street will now become part of The Boulevard, 110 Broad Street; 100,000 square foot 12 story, 120’ high residential building. As described by the building’s design firm, ‘the historic Bulfinch warehouse façade will be fully restored and re-imagined as the new residential lobby’.


Demolition and preservation of the existing building started in mid June. Being on the seventh floor, STA had first row seating to this whole process. Both 102 and 110 Broad Street buildings had restaurants on the first floor (The Littlest Bar & The Times Irish Pub); the upper floors were mostly utilized as storage and office space.


According to the 102 Broad Street Boston Landmarks Commission report, ‘the ground floor of the Bulfinch building at 102 Broad has been altered from its original architecture, however the upper stories retain all of the features of the original Federal Style. Some of the characteristics are: three bays (on Broad Street), and nine bays facing Wharf Street, the use of brick laid in Flemish bond, a low hipped slate roof, a height of four stories, flared lintels and sills made of stone, and a regular and symmetrical fenestration pattern with smaller, almost square windows on the top floor. ‘

As architects and designers, we appreciate the architectural value of historic buildings and are glad that buildings like this one are preserved. We continue to enjoy the construction development process of The Boulevard from our front window, and look forward to enjoying our temporary expanded view of the greenway this summer.

Luis


Silverman Trykowski Associates Inc. | 125 Broad Street, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02110 | t: 617.426.1501


(slideshow below shows images from 102 Broad Street Landsmark Commission Study Report)
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Which you can read for yourself @
https://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/102 Broad Street Study Report_tcm3-50036.pdf
Just remember it was written in 1983 when the real Green Monster was roaring only a short block away
 
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cca said:
Should have been taller, damn FAA
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cca -- the FAA height limit had no impact on this project -- Not everything built in Boston during the 21st century has to be a mega tower

This is a small scale project appropriate for the edge of the Greenway at that location -- just look at the buildings on the other side of Broad street and across Wharf St.
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Boston02124 said:
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Whigh,

not every post is meant to be taken literally.

i don't think he was actually suggesting this block be built near FAA height limits at any time during it's history,

but was in fact, joking.
 
Internet at your own risk. No need for truth cops here.

cca
 
I noticed them boxing out the brick towards the end of last week, is this just a precautionary measure to protect the brick edge?
 
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