The Hub on Causeway (née TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

[tobyjug]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Thanks for the shoutout, JB.

The proposal has a sense of place. When seeing it from a distance, it will look like a place that you want to go to. When you get there, you will have the feeling of having arrived somewhere important.

Hope the details hold up!

 

[Jouhou]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Is anybody else surprised that this is already before the BCDC? I think of BCDC approval as being one of the final steps before a building breaks ground (ex: Government Center Garage), but these phases are supposedly still years away. Maybe my perception is off, maybe this is being approved earlier than is typical, or maybe BXP is closer to starting on these towers than they previously let on.

Also:


But don't most places of "learning and knowledge" base their style distinctly in the past? Look at libraries and the Ivy League and Oxford and Cambridge and Hogwarts. People tend to associate education and learnedness with Classical and Gothic architecture, not spires and lights.

Knowledge is based on the past, the application of knowledge happens in the future. Architecture could reflect this with a combination of new and old. As long as modern architecture is created with well applied knowledge it should be a good reflection of a city that prides itself in its education.

This could be why we are so disappointed with every cookie cutter box constructed. Elsewhere maybe no one cares as long as it gets the job done but we want to see structures with real thought put into them.

Edit: and if I recall correctly weren't we just discussing them beginning construction on the podium very soon?

 

[CSTH]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

LOL. Nobody in the city government (who matters) gives a shit about that problem.

Right on - don't forget that "the housing shortage" is a problem for renters and would-be-buyers, but very much the exact opposite of a problem for landlords and property owners.

 

[theculprit]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Why not have a spire that fuses the color of the Zakim bridge with the Bunker Hill monument design? (To keep in context with a north gate theme) Maybe have the white spire lit up with an upward facing light which changes color... Too much?

 

[theculprit]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Actually scratch that...just realized that if you have too thick a spire in that design (at the edge of the building) it would essentially look like the tower is 'flippin' the bird' to all people entering the city from the north....which might actually be appropriate considering the "Boston mentality" haha.

 

[citylover94]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I am really happy with the final design of the office tower. The residential I still wish was taller but I do have more hope that at the Back Bay Station site they go for something iconic and high quality that has more height than this. But overall I am very happy with the final look of this project.

 

[Justin7]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Looks a bit like Russia Wharf with a (centered) spire, I think.

 

[datadyne007]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Thanks for attending the meeting & taking notes/pix dshoost. Always appreciated.

It's great to hear that BXP wants to go higher, but just can't due to neighborhood opposition. The opposition is what it is and it's Boston itself that is to blame, rather than the developers that constantly get crucified on this board without ever hearing from the developers themselves.

I'm very happy with the office tower changes. They're stuck at a height and they're making the most of it by maximizing the visual impact that height can have by emphasizing the verticals in the step-backs and spire.

The BCDC really seems to be having a positive impact on developments that the BRA approves.

 

[cjbski]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Oh boy, where to begin...

Dude - THANK YOU for these photos and attending. This made my day - and I'm sure the day of many others here.

 

[stick n move]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

IMG_2764 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2760 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2762 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2758 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2757 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2756 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr



IMG_2728 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2726 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2723 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2720 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

IMG_2718 by Derek Shooster, on Flickr

Just gonna share this so we dont have to keep going back a few pages, cuz Im sure Im not alone in staring at these for the past day. I would imagine that these will officially be released soon and then we can have the high res versions, I hope so.

 

[DZH22]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

The office's roof feature (not including the spire) appears to be a full 7 floors above the 420' mark, using the third pic as reference. (IMG 2762, counting up on the "3")

This should be enough for the top of this (pre-spire) to tip the scales over 500', with the spire pushing/cheating its way up to 600'. It's not the way I wanted this development to hit that height, as it isn't as visually noticeable/dominating as a roofline (by a longshot), but it helps the stats a bit when comparing to other cities. Hopefully it will help halt the precipitous drop that Boston has taken the last few years on this list, from mid 20's a decade ago all the way into the 60's: http://tudl0867.home.xs4all.nl/skylines.html

(Note: I realize half of you don't care about the list, but I'm addressing the other half of people here, so keep it to yourself)

 

[stick n move]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Thanks for the shoutout, JB.

The proposal has a sense of place. When seeing it from a distance, it will look like a place that you want to go to. When you get there, you will have the feeling of having arrived somewhere important.

Hope the details hold up!

This. I think this point gets looked over a lot but it is very important. Take times square for example. When you look at NYC's skyline you can tell where times square is because that is where most of the buildings are lit up to draw attention. This area is going to have a lot going on (bowling alley, bars, hockey/basketball games, supermarket, pro shop) so I think it is important that the buildings draw you in. No this is not going to be anything like Times Square that is not the point I am making. There is a reason people move to the big city for the big city lights. When you see it from a distance you can tell that that is where you want to go. Its like a beacon off in the distance telling you if you want to have a good time come towards the lights. If all the lights on the buildings go out after 8pm and they are dark it does not look like much is going on in that spot, even if there is. I think this proposal does a great job of addressing this and I hope it passes through unchanged from here.

That being said I think downtown looks elegant how it is fairly unlit. It looks nice. It kind of goes with the theme of what I am saying because in the Financial District there is not a ton going on after dark. International Place is a good example because it has a touch of elegance but it is not over the top, just little bit of lighting to let you know it is there but nothing crazy. I think it is important that the areas that are busy at night have lit spires to match. I don't think Boston as a whole needs to light every single building at night, just certain areas would be nice, and it looks as if we are heading in that direction.

 

[statler]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

(Note: I realize half of you don't care about the list, but I'm addressing the other half of people here, so keep it to yourself)

 

[617]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I think it looks pretty cool...wish garden garage tower was incl in the render...

 

[Brad Plaid]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Is it better than before? Much, there is a lot less clashing between the towers. Is it iconic? Not really. The residential is nicer than it's getting credit for here, it's playing straight man to the showier office block. Wondering though what the likes of Koolhaas, Nouvel, Hadid, Foster would have done here. At any rate get 'er done.

 

[cca]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I guess I will be the bad guy and say that I think that the redesign is a cheap pander to the city. A sure way to get some love in Boston is make a bad reference to a city icon. See ...

- silly pointy bits on top of BH/Z bridge.
- silly spire on the current garden.
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace
- New Millennium Tower.
- I am too busy to go on but I could.

cca

 

[DZH22]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I guess I will be the bad guy and say that I think that the redesign is a cheap pander to the city. A sure way to get some love in Boston is make a bad reference to a city icon. See ...

- New Millennium Tower.

Nothing cheap about this one. Seems like quite the positive reference to the Hancock, while still being its own unique building.

Speaking of pandering, blatantly insulting MT is not a good way to pander to the rest of this forum.

 

[atlantaden]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

I must have missed something here. Are these towers shorter due to neighborhood push back to the 600' allowed or did the developer just decide to make them shorter? I don't remember reading about a lot of neighborhood bleating. The Avalon Garden apartment building is pretty tall and it's right around the corner.

 

[lapradetom]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Someone needs to remind all the obstructionist NIMBY types that the City of Boston already contains one of the best park systems in the country, and we already have an abundance of places to go and enjoy the views. Better yet, maybe we should impose a new "view tax" on those opposed to progress, to make up for the lost revenue that it costs the city when projects get downsized/scaled back/shorter because of their antics. (only those officially on record as opposed to progress will pay the tax)

 

[whighlander]

Re: The Boston Garden (TD Garden Towers) | 80 Causeway Street | West End

Looks pretty good, much better than the birdcage on top of the other render.

If I was there I would ask them and the BCDC how the hell can we hope to solve the housing crisis in this city if we cut hundreds of units from every project because someone somewhere gets their panties in a bunch over a tower 25% taller than the one approved.

Mongo -- two quick points:

1rst -- Not every building has to max out at the FAA limit to have a good skyline -- the view of Boston from Cambridge is ironic because there are so very few really tall towers standing behind the elevated horizon established by the traditional Back Bay

2nd -- The carrying capacity of the city is determined by the height of the background non-spectacular, not even visible in the skyline buildings than the presence or absence of a few tall towers

Just remember that without any tall buildings within its city limits that Paris has about 4X the population of Boston in the same area

So overall -- i applaud Boston Properties for preparing to deliver something far beyond mediocrity -- although it may not reach perhaps iconic greatness -- it will become a major part of the iconic view from the North -- to be seen by millions, thousands of times in B-reel for sporting events at the TD Garden