What I hate about Boston

Is this building's facade the fault of CVS, or some previous tenant? (CVS has moved across the street.)

If there's an original old facade under that mess, uncovering it would make the building much more rentable. If there isn't, it should just be demolished.
 
Ah, yes. What we have here is a failure to appreciate.
The building is one of the "Four Corners of Hell". 7-11 (and upstairs architectural firm), CVS, and Macy's account for the other three. A "Gold's Gym" operated on the premises for a number of years. I believe that the remnants of a circa 1880 building facade survive beneath the "pisoir moderne" update.
I doubt that the property owner will do much to revive the old boy, as the vulgarian probably hopes to cash in on the oft mooted but never commenced highrise on the site of the Arch Street church property next door...
 
One of the very few buildings anywhere in Boston that is not better than a parking lot.
 
I hate this building for what it does (and doesn't) on the street. That said, I don't mind the building's design elements and grammar -- it's a rarity in Boston. If the owner fixed it's obvious flaws, could it work? Might be an interesting place for a Shibuya-style electronic billboard.
 
I don't understand for what purposes a windowless box is ever appropriate. What was, or is, this building used for above the ground floor?
 
Might be an interesting place for a Shibuya-style electronic billboard.
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Good luck with that one. Maybe if it displayed a perverse image of Curt Schilling.
 
Ron --

As our resident Boston-area theatre expert, could this weird little building have been used as some sort of auditorium attached to the Arch Street church? The lack of windows on the lower floors, and the clerestory band of windows suggest "theatre" to me. Just a guess...
 
If so, it's not one I've ever heard of or read about.

It's true that theatres have (and need) blank exterior walls, but usually they try to make up for that with signage and ornamentation and even fake windows.
 
The thing is being on Summer st in the Financial District, there's not the kind of foot traffic as seen in the Theater district 90% of the week. I doubt electronic signs would get the kind of ROI they would on the 'Times Sq Building'. Though it should be noted that there is a WindowGain in the windows facing onto Summer St.
 
-I hate all the ugly brutalist buildings near MIT
-I hate the apartment towers between Alewife and Havard that have gas stations built into the side.
-I also, like most people said, don't understand why the T stops after 11:35. What happens if the Sox and Yankees get into a long pitching duel? Does that mean that 1000's of people who take the T to the game can't go home?
-lastly, I hate being teased with all these beautiful skyscrapers, only to realize they will never get built.
 
Ron Newman said:
I don't understand for what purposes a windowless box is ever appropriate. What was, or is, this building used for above the ground floor?
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Toby wishes to answer your questions!

L1060966.jpg


What's this I see? A door ajar around the corner? Toby believes in an open door policy!

Oh crap. No adventure. A gym has opened up and they are INVITING me inside.
Yup, its a gym on all floors. Windows only on the first and fifth floors, and some on the right hand side on all floors of the front. (See top photo.) These mark the original spacing. All architectural detail stripped. Post and beam construction inside. Nothing worth photographing.

L1060968.jpg


Anyway, from this angle you can see that it is (or was) a typical late 19th century commercial row building. After watching "Tokyo Drift" the other night, I like B.B.'s idea about the Japanese lighting!
 
Damnit, you beat me to it. I came to this thread with the express purpose of writing two words:

Ned Flaherty
 
Patriots_1228 said:
-I hate all the ugly brutalist buildings near MIT
-I hate the apartment towers between Alewife and Havard that have gas stations built into the side.
-I also, like most people said, don't understand why the T stops after 11:35. What happens if the Sox and Yankees get into a long pitching duel? Does that mean that 1000's of people who take the T to the game can't go home?
-lastly, I hate being teased with all these beautiful skyscrapers, only to realize they will never get built.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the commuter rail, Patriots? Because all of the light rail runs until right around 1:30am. It's a big mistake if any of the suburbanites take the CR into town for a night game because there's a good chance they'll have to find some other way back to their car.

In any case, I don't think there's a person on here that would argue against having the subway run later... at least until a while after last call at 1 or 2 depending where in town you are (a last call that many would argue should be later as well). I don't however, know how I feel about the CR running later. It's easy to commute to one of the outer subway stations (like riverside, oak grove, wellington, quincy adams, etc) and get a spot if you're heading in in for a late night. I just have a hard time seeing the justification for having heavy rail (the CR) run late at night most likely with VERY low ridership (not to mention the waste of fuel). the subway is all electric and serves a higher population density which makes it easier to justify the extended hours.

I agree with the skyscrapers thing, but I have to say, not all of the renderings have been that impressive to me. In anycase, in a better market, some of these may come back to life. Tough times right now.
 
Toby, I thought the Gold's Gym had opened and closed already, after CVS moved out. Did they reopen or did another gym move in?

Was the windowless box created specifically for the gym? Most gyms I see these days revel in their windows (e.g Planet Fitness near City Hall, Healthworks in Porter Square, Boston Sports Club in Davis Square)
 
Another gym has moved in.

That building has has been that way for at least 12 years.

The windows on the Summer St side are still there, just covered with ads.
 
I see no windows above the first floor on the Summer Street side, ads or no ads.
 
Ron Newman said:
Toby, I thought the Gold's Gym had opened and closed already, after CVS moved out. Did they reopen or did another gym move in?

Was the windowless box created specifically for the gym? Most gyms I see these days revel in their windows (e.g Planet Fitness near City Hall, Healthworks in Porter Square, Boston Sports Club in Davis Square)
Click to expand...

Ron,

I think it looked that way in the CVS days. It certainly has the look of 80's and 90's CVS stylings. The upper floors reminded me of a warehouse, indeed, it was a bit like the New England Architectural Salvage warehouse in New Bedford (minus, of course, the salvage!)

The only windows in the gym were the first floor horizontal band, and a band (which looked like Pittsburgh-Corning block, but I won't swear to it) on the fifth floor Arch St. side. The interior had close to zero natural light on 2 floors, none on the rest.

Gold's took over from CVS. Gold's failed, and some other gym picked up the membership. That gym failed, and the space was vacant for a while. This new outfit is taking another shot at a gym.

This (Leopold Morse) is what I think lies inside the tiled coffin. I assume the decomposition is advanced.

Toby

003289.jpg
 
Thanks. I guess I'm still trying to figure out who first bricked over those windows, and why, and what those floors were first used for after they were bricked over. I don't think CVS ever occupied more than the ground floor.
 
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