Vega (MXD Residential ) | 121 Broadway | Kendall Square

stick n move said:
Yea I think itll depend on how visible it is from across the charles. This and the taller residential at R3 at Volpe are really going to move the skyline from a seaport equivalent type of satellite tech campus skyline, to more of a skyline that stands on its own imo. Not only from a height perspective but also with how much denser its going to be at ground level as well once volpe is filled in.

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Are all the buildings in blue under construction or proposed?

Thats a mighty fine skyline on its own, forget about satellite skylines. That skyline blows away some "big city" skylines like St Louis, New Orleans, Newark NJ and probably a few others as well.

The king of satellite or auxillary skylines of course being Jersey City, followed closely by downtown Brooklyn, and LIC Queens.
 
KriterionBOS said:
Are all the buildings in blue under construction or proposed?

Thats a mighty fine skyline on its own, forget about satellite skylines. That skyline blows away some "big city" skylines like St Louis, New Orleans, Newark NJ and probably a few others as well.

The king of satellite or auxillary skylines of course being Jersey City, followed closely by downtown Brooklyn, and LIC Queens.
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Yea
 
Czervik.Construction said:
I am probably just a design caveman, but while the materials all look high-quality, the terracotta vertical strip seems really at odds/clashes with the glass and metal strip. Can someone explain it to me like I am 5 years old?
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I'm a design caveman as well (so take my answer with a grain of salt)...
I would guess that the cream and brown terracotta tones are meant to make a graceful transition between the building in the foreground (and other '80s Kendall buildings nearby with such earth tones) and the all-glass Akamai building in the background:
12b-23-1.jpg

Having seen it many times in person, I actually think it works well given the context.
(The irony being that the building in the foreground is proposed for redevelopment; though, as I said those color tones are seen elsewhere nearby too).
 
Didn't realize it had a name already. (bolding added by me)

From the CRA agenda: "a) Draft Motion: Approving the permanent signage proposal for the Vega residential building at 121 Broadway, Parcel Two of the Kendall Square Urban Redevelopment Plan."
 
johnmcboston said:
Didn't realize it had a name already. (bolding added by me)

From the CRA agenda: "a) Draft Motion: Approving the permanent signage proposal for the Vega residential building at 121 Broadway, Parcel Two of the Kendall Square Urban Redevelopment Plan."
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Here's the whole signage proposal. Will update thread title. Name sucks. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/685741b7a86daa47be48f7da/t/68c3398c18de2838826b0d14/1757624716070/250917_MXD+Signage+Memo+(121+Broadeway,+Fab+Hub,+Marriott)_Combined.pdf

Incidentally, in that same PDF they have some renders of new signage for the Marriott, which is a weird choice when it's about to be blocked from all angles by the Volpe buildings.
 
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With Vega being a star in the constellation Lyra, let's toss it into the Lyrik/Lyra pile as another uninspired name. 121 Broadway would have been more than acceptable.
 
Justbuildit said:
With Vega being a star in the constellation Lyra, let's toss it into the Lyrik/Lyra pile as another uninspired name. 121 Broadway would have been more than acceptable.
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"Vega" is less inspired than just the literal address?
 
Bananarama said:
"Vega" is less inspired than just the literal address?
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Well, yeah. Addresses are classy, especially when they include "Broadway" in them. Addresses also imply a substantial building in an urban setting while names like "Vega" imply a 5-on-1 cardboard box in Alewife or Everett.

Using just the address communicates that the address alone should be enough to sell it. Using a brand name communicates that you have no confidence in your ability to sell the building's location, which in the Kendall of 2025 is ridiculous.

I'll make a bit of an exception for multi-building developments like Lyrik, where they need to brand a multi-use complex all at once.
 
Bananarama said:
"Vega" is less inspired than just the literal address?
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They just picked a word and put it on the building. It's not a brand or related to anything about Kendall or Cambridge. It's also the tallest building in Cambridge so they could have gone with something more straightforward like Kendall Tower. Maybe referenced Galileo? I think of the old dumpy Chevy Vega before I think of the star. Anyways, small issue for what will be a great addition to Cambridge, it just feels like a missed opportunity.
 
I guess what the residents would properly be called, given this new name, they technically can't be carnivores. ;)
(It really is a cool building - I'd love to be a Vegan).
 
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