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

CAC Presentation: https://bpda.app.box.com/s/0nxkcnldl4rknd7h05jcq9qu24vxhmfa

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With our lab boom clearly coming to an end, it's time for this and many others to go back to the drawing board. Replace all the excess labs with residentials that are 2-4 times as high as the lab proposals were, and we'll finally be able to solve this housing crisis!
 
It looks almost like there's an attempt at spelling something out or initials of some sort. People will look at this puzzlingly and think, huh? What is it supposed to say? Oh it's actually nothing but bizarre design? Ok... cool...
As much as I 100 million percent want that stupid hole in Boylston covered up (and the one across from it), I can't get behind something so ridiculous and cheap looking.
Also, how low-res and basic is this render?? Did they have next to no budget and/or ability to add realistic details to it?
 
Seems that the land that the Pru sits on is all sold up, so developers are looking for alternate ways to make the corners of Boylston & Mass Ave up for grabs. Some of those proposals look real nice, while others just look plain damn UGLY!! Sorry guys. Some of you might see beauty in them, but some of them should be sent back to the drawing board, if you know what I mean. :unsure:
 
I really didn't like the curved proposal previously, as I feel something contextual should be here with tons of ground floor retail/activation, no setbacks, etc. This however is wtf material. Bring back the stupid s-shaped hotel thing.
 
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Equilibria said:
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After my initial revulsion, I looked again and am kind of mesmerized by this view. I can see this as either an electric guitar, or the next massive weapon they'll pull out in The Expendables 4. Pretty insane for architecture.

With that said, Boston deserves better. That's going to be the slogan around here for a while.
 
:confused: I sort of like the base concept but think this proposal is lacking an elegance to make it work. Im thinking the Dresden Museum of Military History as a really beautiful example of using different material and form to create interest and tell a story. My issues here are (1) poor interface with the sidewalk (2) the 'sliced in' bits are giving 1980s office park and that is neither beautiful nor interesting/there doesn't seem to be a 'story' about why the building is being cut open (3) the west side building doesn't seem to relate at all and is even less refined in massing and detail.

If were managing the design team on this I'd probably steer them to simplify (they are trying to do to much while not doing enough) and refine.
 
This is basically the cornerstone parcel to essentially a new square being created here, and the main landmark gateway parcel into Copley/Newbury from Kenmore/Fenway/points south coming up Bolyston. We have parcel 12 anchoring the main pike side with retail and open public space, but, its main job is really to block most of the pike out (although also an gateway to the city from the Pike, but that isn't really relevant to off the pike). This is the main prominent parcel (across the street I would argue is a bit less so, but at least that proposal was interesting) and will make or break how this all turns out, in my opinion. You don't get the chance to essentially create a new square every day, especially not right between Copley and Kenmore.
 
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It's clearly more of a massing study than anything. We'll see what comes up if they even make it to the next phase. That said, this concept looks okay to me. Yes, it's not super imaginative, but it's still slightly more than a background building. And the key element to me, is that it covers the Pike and stiches the intersection of two major streets together. In a sense, the building itself doesn't matter so much as what it hides. If this were plopped down on the parcel right now, we'd all love the actual result. Given the cost of building here, maybe "something" rather than "perfection" is the best we can get.
 
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