Whats left to build on?

[JeffDowntown]

Wow the midtown hotel is a great spot for a new tower.

Never get a tower there. Too close to the St. Botolph neighborhood. Masterplan has always capped that site at 11 stories, like the similar Greenhouse Apartments and Colonnade Hotel.

 

[Downburst]

I wonder if the square footage of that tower got transferred to 1 Dalton to account for the extra 200' height bump it got. If that is the case, the third tower is probably off the table.

That's exactly what happened, in fact. And that's fine- that Mass Ave/Huntington Corner tower was just a bad idea from the get go.

 

[odurandina]

Never get a tower there. Too close to the St. Botolph neighborhood. Masterplan has always capped that site at 11 stories, like the similar Greenhouse Apartments and Colonnade Hotel.

Perhaps the Walsh Admn could invoke a better selling strategy. Lobby the Church of Christ Scientist to embrace a non-affiliated international student village.... Outside of NYC, how many cities in the US do this forward thinking?

NYC; http://www.nystudentcenter.org/
http://www.internationalstudentresidence.com/

Paris; http://www.ciup.fr/en/

An indisputable link

The International University Campus in Paris is a private foundation, recognised as being in the public interest since 1925 and closely linked to the Paris universities, which own the buildings and which are represented at its Management Board by the Rector of the Academy and Chancellor of the Universities of Paris, Acting Vice-President of the Foundation and the Presidents of two universities.

Ever since the Middle Ages the University of Paris has always welcomed students from all over the world. In what they used to call the “College of Nations”. When the international university campus in Paris was created in 1925 it continued this tradition of the Paris universities: a tradition of welcome. The International University Campus in Paris plays a central role in the policy for accepting internationally mobile students in the Ile-de-France.

“Paris’ International University City offers Paris a unique device in terms of a campus. It is a formal campus which isn’t at the service of a single university but rather all the universities of Paris and Ile de France.”
François WEIL, Government representative and Chief Education officer for the Universities of Paris.

Do 2 stepped resident towers going 16~22 stories (like M Block, Seaport). 3rd tower: a huge youth hostel, 12~16 w/ cafes directly opposite the Church of Christ Scientist green, but also having it's own green space for some type of artist/live entertainment venue.

You could tax them at better rates for the City, while freeing up dorms from BU to DTX. Add no cars. And as the mega projects at 1, 40 Dalton, Parcel 15, the Huntington, etc, come home, the outdoor cafes (built too small of course), would reach full capacity, (spill over on the weekends), and serve a huge benefit to the area's new residents and greater neighborhood.

 

[kmp1284]

Perhaps the Walsh Admn could invoke a better selling strategy. Lobby the Church of Christ Scientist to embrace a non-affiliated international student village.... Outside of NYC, how many cities in the US do this forward thinking?

NYC; http://www.nystudentcenter.org/
http://www.internationalstudentresidence.com/

Paris; http://www.ciup.fr/en/


Do 2 stepped resident towers going 16~22 stories (like M Block, Seaport). 3rd tower: a huge youth hostel, 12~16 w/ cafes directly opposite the Church of Christ Scientist green, but also having it's own green space for some type of artist/live entertainment venue.

You could tax them at better rates for the City, while freeing up dorms from BU to DTX. Add no cars. And as the mega projects at 1, 40 Dalton, Parcel 15, the Huntington, etc, come home, the outdoor cafes (built too small of course), would reach full capacity, (spill over on the weekends), and serve a huge benefit to the area's new residents and greater neighborhood.

Nobody who actually lives or has lived in Boston wants 20 story dorm towers looming over 5 story brownstones. Be reasonable.

 

[odurandina]

i suggested a range of 16-22 stories. The low end would still be good. To increase density for the first time in >40 years only a few feet away from tall zoning, without adding significant traffic is worthy of review. i understand the Church acquired these blocks to prevent anyone from spoiling the park. But the result was also excessive. In any case, this scale has been done close to rowhouses.

14~16 stories

https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...3e16f5f31d3ea2!8m2!3d42.3384957!4d-71.0938271

15~16 stories

https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...01160f5ec690!8m2!3d42.3426869!4d-71.0850567

20 stories at 118 Huntington.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...3e16f5f31d3ea2!8m2!3d42.3384957!4d-71.0938271

 

[stick n move]

New york is about half way done with yet another modern art deco tower-520 park ave.

30 park place is done

We got Liberty Mutual, and it looks incredible and added a much needed piece to the city. I can only hope we throw one of these downtown-maybe with a copper crown like their older icons, and call it a day. I think it would really do wonders for downtown. Maybe in 1 Bromfields place?

Liberty Mutual in my opinion has been the best example done yet in any city-height not withstanding. Id love to see something similar to that but taller, downtown, and with a crown. That would add a huge hint of flavor to downtown.

 

[odurandina]

That's really good. Anything near the Adam's Courthouse will benefit from deco inspired modernism (as is still being done occassionally in Chicago and New York) ....and may even increase public support.

Has anyone attempted to do an out of period style, only to be told by the Design Commission, "we don't do fake iconic." ?? i believe in doing it because;

1. the Art Deco period is under-represented here.
2. With so much glass, or brown/reddish stone cladding, we should welcome more limestone.
3. It will be nice the day it's completed.
4. We should hold developers to a very high standard in this part of the City.
5. It will blend extremely well with the 18th and 19th Century architecture in the area, and create a seamless transition between Faneuil Hall and the historic architecture off the Common, West End, and Beacon Hill.
6. 1-3 Center Plaza, City Hall Plaza and the State Service bldg will not long after, be forgotten.
7. Visitors won't judge us harshly, because they won't have direct knowledge of our "lost weekend."
8. Eventually, everyone who knows it's faux historic will be dead.
9. We will re-write history: that we never did stupid plazas.
10. Future generations will credit us with having great taste all along.
11. We'll have most iconic, accessible, integrated downtown in the America's.

 

[stick n move]

Liberty Mutual looks like it has always been there, its perfect. I think we could pull out all of the stops on 1 art deco tower and really make up for lost time. Some of them lately look like fillers, we would have to go all in and really make it a masterpiece. If we did that once the other pieces are filled in wed have one of the best waterfront skylines in the US.

Heres another example being built in Russia. We would need a spire because we have too many buzz cuts, but this is another great example of great new school art deco architecture.

Heres the original plan. It has the right idea but definitely could have been better. Still just goes to show that its possible and its happening all over the world. We need to jump on this bandwagon (again).

 

[Hubman]

New york is about half way done with yet another modern art deco tower-520 park ave.



Liberty Mutual in my opinion has been the best example done yet in any city-height not withstanding. Id love to see something similar to that but taller, downtown, and with a crown. That would add a huge hint of flavor to downtown.

Those are some beautiful towers. I'd love to see some neo-deco buildings around Boston and I'm glad someone agrees.

 

[stick n move]

Yea liberty mutual should be a catalyst, after the success of that we know we can really do this right. Our skyline is finally coming around and getting its shit together, we have a great base, and a few perfectly placed limestone towers (preferably with a copper crown for a later patina), would do wonders. If we do this combined with the incredible proposals we have coming up it will put Boston on the next level. We have an enormous stock of old build townhouses and other relatively small buildings, and then a 1970s pre internet style skyline. All it would take it like 3 600ish foot limestone towers placed in different parts of the skyline to put us into the discussion. We need to push for this.

Brick also looks great and is a part of the "Boston pallette". This would be an absolute mega win for Boston to have something as nice as this. This just looks like Boston.

This was a neo deco proposal for LA that never came to be. A single tower like this thats shorter with a copper crown would be incredible.

Also came across one of Dubais mega failures at having taste lol. This is trashhhhhhh.

 

[stick n move]

Old idea I had to light up the slice on the side of the Hancock:

 

[stick n move]

 

[Charlie_mta]

If this were China, something like this could happen. In the USA, not likely. Too many provincial NIMBYs, environmental extremists, government over-regulation, obstructionists in general. That's the way the US is today.

I like it though; really in the tradition of the historical expanding 19th century Boston.

A storm surge barrier could easily be incorporated.

 

[stick n move]

If they decided to go tall here:

I think that this actually lines up very very well with 1IP.

Then SST completes it on the back end and hopefully one day the tower at the garage on the greenway fills out the other side.

 

[bigpicture7]

This building is listed for sale. It's near the corner of Brookline Ave. / Newbury Street extension in Kenmore. I'm curious if it could be redeveloped into something interesting, and/or if that gap along Brookline Ave. could be activated somehow...

 

[JumboBuc]

This building is listed for sale. It's near the corner of Brookline Ave. / Newbury Street extension in Kenmore. I'm curious if it could be redeveloped into something interesting, and/or if that gap along Brookline Ave. could be activated somehow...

The listing shows this:

as a "Rendering example of vertical potential"

Someone obviously threw that together in 30 minutes and I don't think a building that size would even fit on the site, but it's what they're marketing. I suspect in reality a project here would be more of the scale of the Hotel Commonwealth expansion next door. This location is a shitty spot for residential or office but a no-brainer for hotel.

 

[cadetcarl]

What makes it a bad spot for other uses than hotel? The Pike is a little bit loud but lots of people live backed up to it. Convenient distance to transit and road options as well. I think you could but anything but retail here.

 

[coleslaw]

My mom used to teach in the building that is there now even in that old building you can't really hear the pike. I don't think it is that much of an issue.

 

[odurandina]

While looking for buildings for sale i found this one and was actually going to post it here. Guess you beat me by a couple of days. Not sure how blocking the Citgo Sign, fanning out in the general direction of Fenway Park would be received. The ubiquitous Citgo Sign could factor in discovering its value.

 

[stick n move]

Heres one of the many spots in the parking lot next to that blank wall above thats not even on peoples radar when they say theres no room left which is a great spot where eventually a tower can go.

Check it out, its right across the street from these towers so wouldnt be out of the ordinary for the area.


Its the one on the right below. Then if that were built theres an even bigger lot next door on the left. Theres lots of room to fill in the skyline gap here between the longfellow towers, gc garage, and hub on causeway.


Its really a great location behind this flat iron this would be amazing.
upload photos online

Across from the gov ctr office tower is another great spot at the triangle parcel on the left.


Top of the pic is the triangle lot then in the center of the pic is yet another parking lot ripe for a tower. All these lots would be great areas for residential towers with retail in the bottom.


Theres actually a few more open lots in here on the streets in Bulfinch triangle. After the hub, gcg towers, garden garage, these would be a great next step to fill in the skyline here. This would extend the skyline the whole way along the greenway ending at the hub how it should be. The FAA limit is higher here too. A couple of the other lots are skinny too so some pencil towers would be pretty sweet. If those 2 spots were built up it could spark the next wave in the area to finally fill in the gap in the skyline after the other towers going up in the area now go up.