Viola | Mass DOT Parcel 13 | Boylston & Mass Ave | Back Bay

[BeeLine]

LOI submitted to BPDA

https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2020/02/07/developer-notifies-city-officials-of-plan-to-build.html?iana=hpmvp_bost_news_headline

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[Cortes]

Interesting that they did not include a pool on the roof of the section closest to Mass Ave. Not that I think anything on that render of the roof will come out looking like that, but it's always good graphics. On a landscraper like this though, why shouldn't there be solar panels? Marketing a building by claiming a significant portion of the buildings power will be generated on site by renewables would be a pretty good way to differentiate.

Anyway. I could nit pick all day long and still think this thing is a massive win. That dark red is great., as is the plaza on Boylston which (I think!) will open that entrance to the T again.

 

[tobyjug]

Still wish it stepped up, even briskly, from the fire house.

 

[stick n move]

Needs to be moved over. This is the most current version of the building with the added height facing mass ave and the "tower" added further up Boylston. Im glad they added the height because it gives a nicer street wall on mass ave, but more importantly there was lots of speculation about how such a short building would ever work on an air rights parcel, but now it should have a much better shot at being built. Now its really the equivalent of a pretty substantial tower just laid over on its side, so the economics should work.

Great find, thanks!

 

[stick n move]

Original structure renders. The new version is similar just added height.

Earlier proposal but it has a tower section so the new version will be sort of a cross between the above and this render.

 

[393b40]

Is it more is the street level facade on Boylston very pedestrian unfriendly feeling?

 

[tobyjug]

Wavy State Transportation Building

 

[shmessy]

Is it more is the street level facade on Boylston very pedestrian unfriendly feeling?

Let's say this.........Far better than it is now!

I love this. It will transform the pedestrian experience in that area. The new T headhouse, the separate plazas on Mass Ave and Boylston St. instead of a hole looking down at the Pike., etc.

In particular, I'm noticing on Page 27 of the renders http://www.bostonplans.org/getattachment/6353d346-f438-432d-9ddc-26b500d59507 the MBTA entrance(?) at ground level of the higher residential portion - if I'm not mistaken, that shortens one's outdoor walking when going west on Boylston to get to the Green Line station (instead of having to go all the way to Mass Ave and take a right). Better and more points of access to that Green Line station is a HUGE win.

I'm also glad they ditched the glass from the bottom two renders - it would have been jarring in this section of the Back Bay. The combining of the two series' massing and materials is a win-win here. I CANNOT wait for this project to happen!

 

[odurandina]

i don't like the ribbed terra cotta.
looks like an only slightly better color of the State Service Ctr.

gimme dark brick multi or some other allowable stuff.

dark brown brick wall

Dark brown brick wall ,creative back-phonon ,closeup

creativemarket.com

 

[HenryAlan]

Still wish it stepped up, even briskly, from the fire house.

Agreed. It seems like the two levels are positioned opposite of how it should be done, with the lower section by the fire house, and the higher section on the corner with Mass Ave.

With that said, I've always loved this project and still do. Build it!

 

[JeffDowntown]

Agreed. It seems like the two levels are positioned opposite of how it should be done, with the lower section by the fire house, and the higher section on the corner with Mass Ave.

With that said, I've always loved this project and still do. Build it!

Isn't the location of the higher section dictated by practicality on the site?

The end of the site by Mass Ave. is 100% air rights. The end of the site by the old fire station has at least some terra firma to work with (around the T station footprint).

 

[whighlander]

Interesting that they did not include a pool on the roof of the section closest to Mass Ave. Not that I think anything on that render of the roof will come out looking like that, but it's always good graphics. On a landscraper like this though, why shouldn't there be solar panels? Marketing a building by claiming a significant portion of the buildings power will be generated on site by renewables would be a pretty good way to differentiate.

Anyway. I could nit pick all day long and still think this thing is a massive win. That dark red is great., as is the plaza on Boylston which (I think!) will open that entrance to the T again.

Cortes -- the reason for

why shouldn't there be solar panels?... ---claiming a significant portion of the buildings power will be generated on site by renewables

There just isn't enough roof to make any significant dent in the building's power demand.

Solar energy is just so diffuse that for a building of that size it's just not happening -- unless you go back to the design of a "Lowell-style" Mill building where:

1. all of the light comes through the windows,
2. there are no elevators or escalators,
3. all of the heat and cooling comes through opening the windows.

If you look at the roof area of the building in question -- the best way to be Green is just to plant Green stuff there as they have done.

 

[stefal]

Two new T headhouses, access maintained and updated(?) for MBTA substations and ventilation shafts, and emergency highway ventilation systems were added between the competition and now. The T headhouses were known, but not much about the details. This will be a costly project, being over air rights, paying for public infrastructure, and using high quality materials. Really hope to see this rise despite what I assume are very low margins..

 

[BostonDrew]

I’ll be interested to see how the design changes with this latest iteration. I noticed the Globe explicitly left out any prior renders in their article.

 

[whighlander]

Two new T headhouses, access maintained and updated(?) for MBTA substations and ventilation shafts, and emergency highway ventilation systems were added between the competition and now. The T headhouses were known, but not much about the details. This will be a costly project, being over air rights, paying for public infrastructure, and using high quality materials. Really hope to see this rise despite what I assume are very low margins..

Stefal -- Its interesting that in the drawing showing stuff in the area - - page 31 in the document -- no suggestion of anything located diagonally across Boylston -- the Big Elephant in the room -- aka Hynes

would be interesting to see a drawing for the Hynes showing Terra Firma the same as the drawing for the Viola

 

[Equilibria]

I’ll be interested to see how the design changes with this latest iteration. I noticed the Globe explicitly left out any prior renders in their article.

Yeah, I think it's going to look pretty different, though I will note that BBJ was given the scoop and she did use the old render.

 

[Czervik.Construction]

I am excited to see this open space be filled in, but seems devoid of retail or street-level activity. A building is better than what is currently there (nothing), but seems like a bit of a dead zone in such an otherwise bustling area.

 

[bip05]

wait, what tall building is in the newest rendering on the south side of boylston across from the viola project?

 

[Equilibria]

wait, what tall building is in the newest rendering on the south side of boylston across from the viola project?

1000 Boylston. Cancelled.

 

[whighlander]

1000 Boylston. Cancelled.

Equilibria -- It's what is not in the render -- the redevelopment of the Hynes -- not necessarily by Hines or Hynes [although that would be interesting as its his family's name on the building]