View Boston (Observatory) | Prudential Tower | Back Bay

Arlington said:
Chicago's Aon (nee Amoco?) because they already had to strip the exterior and redo it ingranite when the Carrara marble started cracking and falling off? When 2/3 of the original facing was crushed and used to decorate an oil refinery, I don't know how you landmark it. And as much as I love Edward Durrel Stone, this was bascially the stretch limo of his designs.
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I googled this briefly and couldn't figure out the difference in look. Are there any side-by-side comparisons? Is it a color difference? Texture?
 
sm89 said:
I googled this briefly and couldn't figure out the difference in look. Are there any side-by-side comparisons? Is it a color difference? Texture?
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They're adding a corner elevator. It hasn't happened yet. Originally set to open in 2022, delayed due to coronavirus, and I'm unsure if they have resumed.
EDIT: They're also planning to mess with the top 2 floors, changing the look at the very top of the tower.

THREATENED: Aon Building Facade Alterations Proposed | PreservationChicago

THREATENED: Aon Building Facade Alterations Proposed
preservationchicago.org preservationchicago.org
 
DZH22 said:
They're adding a corner elevator. It hasn't happened yet. Originally set to open in 2022, delayed due to coronavirus, and I'm unsure if they have resumed.
EDIT: They're also planning to mess with the top 2 floors, changing the look at the very top of the tower.

THREATENED: Aon Building Facade Alterations Proposed | PreservationChicago

THREATENED: Aon Building Facade Alterations Proposed
preservationchicago.org preservationchicago.org
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Ohhhhhh thanks! I thought the outrage was over the refacing back in the 90s. Specifically: "The marble was replaced with white granite between 1990 and 1992, resulting in its current look". Like, what was the big difference in its look?
 
What will the the tower tower look like when when it's all said & done?:)
 
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I think with 2 floors there is the potential to fit out the space with floor to ceiling windows to have a better experience than whats currently there. PRU Imagine a skywalk like this in Boston?!! king power mahanakhon. Architecturally we can deduct if there is a proposed exterior elevator, it will need to be on the Huntington Ave side because folks on the Boylston side do not like change. And because there are a lot of yahoos' in the the US these days, no exterior catwalk, no matter how much insurance they have. Projecting glass cubes on all four sides would be cool though! Also, not to be too pessimistic, you know there will be the ironic BB opposition stating that this new skywalk will generate too much tourist traffic for the neighborhood! (I really do like Boston; its frustrating to think about it this way all the time!)
 
dhawkins said:
I think with 2 floors there is the potential to fit out the space with floor to ceiling windows to have a better experience than whats currently there. PRU Imagine a skywalk like this in Boston?!! king power mahanakhon. Architecturally we can deduct if there is a proposed exterior elevator, it will need to be on the Huntington Ave side because folks on the Boylston side do not like change. And because there are a lot of yahoos' in the the US these days, no exterior catwalk, no matter how much insurance they have. Projecting glass cubes on all four sides would be cool though! Also, not to be too pessimistic, you know there will be the ironic BB opposition stating that this new skywalk will generate too much tourist traffic for the neighborhood! (I really do like Boston; its frustrating to think about it this way all the time!)
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If I recall correctly, the two floors are not contiguous, they are Floors 50 and 52. Not sure how this messes with what can be done architecturally.

Floor 51, I believe, houses mechanicals, kitchen space and storage for food service and catering (like table and chairs for events...)
 
Well, whatever they end up completing, I'm looking forward to it. I very much miss taking first-time Boston visitors to the Hancock Tower Observatory. The little model and presentation they had of Boston in 1775 was extremely informative, and it put the Hancock tower in context of the current city overlayed with the original shoreline. It was ALWAYS my first stop on a tour of Boston. It gave a concise history of the city and allowed people to experience the city from above and then orient yourself with landmarks before heading out to explore.

Since the Hancock Observatory closed after 9-11, I've been to the Pru Observatory many times. The views are GREAT, but the exhibits were greatly lacking in my opinion.

In addition, I've always thought the retro-fit they did for the Chicago Hancock observatory years ago was nice. They moved the entrance basically down to the basement so tourists weren't competing with the other tower elevators. I believe they took one elevator and made it express from the basement to the observatory. This gave them the space in the basement to have ticket purchases, a small exhibit while you wait for the elevator, and a dedicated area removed from the main lobby of the tower. I could see the same working at the Boston PRU where the ticketing and waiting area is carved out from one of the lower levels that access the underground garage. In Chicago, they created a lower level courtyard that you enter from the street, so it doesn't really feel like a basement. It sounds like they might do some creative things like that here if they want this to attract the millions of people they say they will. :)
 
I'm so glad that I was able to visit the obs deck in the John Hancock Tower long before 09-11-01!! This is when the building was brand spanking new. It has not reopened since then. :)
 
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PDA Amendment:

bpda.app.box.com

2020-09-25_Planned Development Area (PDA) Amendment_Prudential Center Pavilion and Observatory.pdf | Powered by Box

bpda.app.box.com bpda.app.box.com

Looks like in some fashion it's taking the whole "cab". This will be pretty cool.

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The original Skywalk was the floor below that outdoor part. What are they planning on doing with that? I loved hanging out on that floor (50) for 2-3 hours at a time. I don't know if I'll be able to say the same about this new deck. Plus, they played great catchy tunes from the 70's and 80's!

This whole thing really seems pointless to me. The view is the draw, not any of the other crap they come up with. It's always about the view.
 
DZH22 said:
The original Skywalk was the floor below that outdoor part. What are they planning on doing with that? I loved hanging out on that floor (50) for 2-3 hours at a time. I don't know if I'll be able to say the same about this new deck. Plus, they played great catchy tunes from the 70's and 80's!

This whole thing really seems pointless to me. The view is the draw, not any of the other crap they come up with. It's always about the view.
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It looks like that whole box is empty space with double-height windows. Maybe there's some programming in there, but how is that not about the view? It's the same thing, just two floors higher...
 
Equilibria said:
It looks like that whole box is empty space with double-height windows. Maybe there's some programming in there, but how is that not about the view? It's the same thing, just two floors higher...
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It's not about the view if they add extraneous bs and expect us to pay a premium for it. Plus, again, what's up with 50?
 
cburns said:
An article appeared in the Globe today mentioned refurbished “PRUDENTIAL” lettering as well as an improved lighting scheme for the top of the building.
Feel like that would be required given that the LED floodlights sit where that outdoor skywalk is envisioned... exciting stuff!
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VERY exciting!!!
 
DZH22 said:
It's not about the view if they add extraneous bs and expect us to pay a premium for it. Plus, again, what's up with 50?
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In the link shared above if you read the documents it says floor 50, 50s roof (51), then the old top of the hub double height space in 52 are all part of the skydeck. It says its 3 floors in total. Seems like a hell of a lot of space especially since its already doubled in size from the addition of the outdoor deck alone. Gonna be interesting.

They could have saved a ton of money and still doubled the area of the old observation floor just by adding the outdoor portion on the roof. Then you have the whole top of the hub to do a new restaurant. Idk.
 
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