View Boston (Observatory) | Prudential Tower | Back Bay

goody said:
Haha thanks Equilibria, I was being a bit facetious. ;) It's more that the rendering is bad (or silly) and the programing of the space is strange. Are those selfie stations with wall-mounted cameras? Who is going to pay for that or give their personal info to get that photo? What is with the wall treatment? Is that just a vinyl graphic applied to a flat wall or is the wall articulated or have some sort of architectural cladding?

Don't get me started on the lighting and composition of this rendering, everyone loves some dramatic up-lighting to cast shadows on your weird wall and nothing says "family friendly fun" or "romantic date" like a rendering showing the moody chaos of a roof packed with mechanicals. Annnnyyywwwwwaays...
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:) The challenge with a space like that is that it can't be too busy or it blocks the views out. I'm actually surprised they didn't work in any glass floored cantilevers or thrill rides. Maybe the tower isn't tall enough to hide them from looking ugly from the ground (like the Sears Tower does).
 
What we've been able to see IRL (albeit from considerable distance) -- the power-washing of the upper and lower borders of "the hat," the new lettering/signage, the reframing (and possible replacements?) of the hat's actual windows, the glass barrier/wall of the new outdoor platform -- have all looked quite nice and well executed. While all the expressed concerns and criticisms are, of course, fine and good (and subjective) and *may* wind up being borne out by the final product, I'm not going to get to down on this project until it's finished and can be judged on it's actual merits and flaws.

It's absolutely true: $200M (or whatever the figure winds up being) is/was quite a lot of money. I don't think the powers that be over there would commit to that large a financial stake for some poorly designed and executed "meh" final result.
 
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I don't have enough time to hunt for this but I would be curious to see a side-by-side comparison of the exterior of the top floors (before and after) now that this project is wrapping up.
 
citydweller said:
I don't have enough time to hunt for this but I would be curious to see a side-by-side comparison of the exterior of the top floors (before and after) now that this project is wrapping up.
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Here's an older pic of the crown, alongside one of DZH22's excellent shots from September '22
oldprutop.jpg
prunew.jpg
 
Since it has a new usable floor on top of 50 I guess that means technically it has 53 floors now?
 
Someone on the previous page has mentioned the restaurant. At this point, the only thing that we can possibly hope for is that they'll put a skyroom Resaurant on, or near the top floor of the South Station Tower. It's the least thing they could do, since we no longer have the one at the top of the Pru. :unsure: 🥄🍴:) 🍽
top-of-the-hub_1024xx1296-730-0-123.jpg
 
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Jahvon09 said:
Someone on the previous page has mentioned the restaurant. At this point, the only thing that we can possibly hope for is that they'll put a skyroom Resaurant on the top floor of the South Station Tower. It's the least they could do, since we no longer have the one at the top of the Pru. :unsure: 🥄🍴:) 🍽 View attachment 29225
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Dude... as has already been quoted, for those who abhor pop-up ads and paying for things they use: "Top of the Hub, a restaurant atop the Pru that closed at the same time, won't return. But View Boston will have a new bistro on the 50th floor and an indoor and outdoor cocktail lounge on the 51st floor."

A "bistro" is a small restaurant. Cocktail lounges (plural) are places where you can order drinks and often small food items/apps.

So, to summarize: there will be a restaurant, there will be places to sit down and share drinks with friends -- indoors or outside. Do you need a carbon-copy of the former TOTH to be content?

All that said, sure -- I'd be fine with a restaurant or observation deck (or both) at SST. Sounds nice.

I *don't*, however, think it's "the least [the developers] could do" They could and can do whatever they like. It's their property (just like BBJ can charge viewers to read full articles).
 
Jahvon09 said:
Someone on the previous page has mentioned the restaurant. At this point, the only thing that we can possibly hope for is that they'll put a skyroom Resaurant on the top floor of the South Station Tower. It's the least they could do, since we no longer have the one at the top of the Pru. :unsure: 🥄🍴:) 🍽 View attachment 29225
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I was at the Top of the Hub for a couple drinks with friends before it closed. It was a bit cheesy; "plastic" folks at the bar and such, but I did get one of these lounge chairs and it was very cool looking over the South End at dusk. Twinkling lights below makes for a romantic view. and the downtown was nice as well. If I remember correctly the lounge did not have a direct view West of the sunset though. I think a view from South Station would be nice looking over the city towards the West for a sunset view, but the harbor/ ocean view at night is very dark so it would not be very romantic during the evening.
 
dhawkins said:
I was at the Top of the Hub for a couple drinks with friends before it closed. It was a bit cheesy; "plastic" folks at the bar and such, but I did get one of these lounge chairs and it was very cool looking over the South End at dusk. Twinkling lights below makes for a romantic view. and the downtown was nice as well. If I remember correctly the lounge did not have a direct view West of the sunset though. I think a view from South Station would be nice looking over the city towards the West for a sunset view, but the harbor/ ocean view at night is very dark so it would not be very romantic during the evening.
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I used to work at the TOTH, & we had a gorgeous view of the West, since it's the side that the kitchen was on. You could see the Mass. Pike as far as you could & Fenway Park. I'm surprised that the John Hancock Tower never had a resturant up there, being that it's Boston's tallest skyscraper & office tower. It would've been good if they could have one that high up. :)🍽🥩
 
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Speaking of the old John Hancock Building, IDK if it's still there, but there also was an obs deck in there. I once went up to it & to the Custom House, as well as to the Pru & the Hancock Tower. The BOA Building has a skyroom resturant, but it's for excecs only.:unsure:
 
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The open-air deck on the 51st floor of the Pru reminds me of THIS, the Edge in New York!! It's also an outdoor deck. It's main attraction is a triangular viewing spot in the floor that allows visitors to view the ground from 100 floors up!! :)
The-Edge-Glass-Floor.jpg.optimal.jpg
 
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Well, I would imagine that a bistro & a cocktail lounge is better than nothing at all!
Not swanky like what was there before, but at least vistors can get a bite to eat & something to drink in the sky. Sort of like what's featured on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center in Chicago. I like that. I just had a beer, since I didn't eat there. Here's what looks like an example of that in the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago on the 94th floor where the obs deck is. Fully elegant sky room fine dining & drinks are offered on the 96th floor (The Signature Room, top right) Here are the links; :)🍽https://www.timeout.com/chicago/new...-some-of-the-citys-most-stunning-views-091922

The Signature Room & Lounge at the 95th® | Restaurant, Lounge, & Private Events in Chicago, IL

Visit The Signature Room & The Signature Room Lounge for fine dining, specialty cocktails & wine with some of the best views in Chicago. Reserve a table!
www.signatureroom.com
Cloud Bar at john hancok center..jpg
The Signature Room..jpg
Me having a beer in the sky..jpg
 
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Looking at the top where the resturant was is almost like going back into the mid '60's when the tower was new & clean. It looked just like that!! :):):):)
 
It's just too bad that the John Hancock Tower isn't putting back the obs deck on the top floor or a restaurant there. What a golden opportunity they are missing out on!! It could do something to compete with the Pru, but such is life!! :unsure:
 
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