Boston02124
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and here we are with the crane coming down on a glass box.
Mayor Memino would never approve...
I personally think that's a cop out and I'm not going to give developers that much leewayI believe the tower is built on a slope, and having walked through the neighboring building many times to cut through I can easily picture it being 691 from the ground on one side and 700 on the other.
Regardless of all that, the way the developers handled this was brilliant. They never compromised on height, not to appease NIMBY'S or comply with the idiotic shadow law, until they absolutely had to with the FAA limits. Furthermore, instead of death by a thousand payoffs, they offered up one major lump sum which helped drive the narrative about the benefits of the project. If you don't like the design, there's a direct link to what it cost to get the building approved in the first place (150m).
Wasnt it allowed to go up to 720’ but they only went to 690’, that extra little bit could have helped a lot. I cant remember if they were allowed to go 720’ above sea level or ground level and if thats why the tower was 690’.
Real problem with this tower is Millenium Partner's choice of the same blue glass as used on its older sister. This could have been better had they done something with any other kind of colored glass.
Also add that afaik, the FAA objections were more than just radar issues and not easily remedied. It was never going to go past this height. I think the real disappointment is in not getting a real observation deck, and then getting bait and switched on the grand hall nonsense. At least we didn't get the terrible twin towers iteration. If the city does end up completing the Emerald Necklace and all of the other projects this was supposed to fund, though, in the end, it will probably balance out in favor of it.
That would've helped a bit, i agree, but it still would've been a giant, glass filing cabinet sticking out of the ground. Merely being "all glass" hasn't made a tower interesting or unusual for going on 50 years.
Boston's got way, way, WAY too many box-buildings. Folks may not absolutely love 111 Huntington's crown (count me among them) and plenty residents had issues with Menino (mixed feelings here), but the guy at least understood that, going forward in Boston, "flat roofs don't make it." Shame nobody still in positions to impact things like tower design approval shared his sentiment.
I'm hopeful that the new energy codes will result in more interesting facades (meaning not all glass).
I love this building. It's the perfect addition to the skyline--especially approaching from the south via 93N. The vertical stripes really add to its prominence among other downtown skyscrapers (very few of which are glass).