Winthrop Center | 115 Winthrop Square | Financial District

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

And here I’ve been neglecting the whole ‘back side’! I believe the lobby connects Devonshire to Federal St.

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

Something strange about the wording. It's not going to be certified by the sound of it, just "use passive house design." Also, if I recall correctly, only the office is passive (or the other way around).

Here’s the text, sounds like certified?

“ On Tuesday the building passed a series of tests to become certified by the Passive House Institute in Germany. It was also awarded The Passive House Trailblazer award.

“When we started this back in 2017, I think there were probably a handful of passive U.S.-certified buildings here in Massachusetts. And they were small and they were residential,” Mahoney said.”

 

[stefal]

Here’s the text, sounds like certified?

“ On Tuesday the building passed a series of tests to become certified by the Passive House Institute in Germany. It was also awarded The Passive House Trailblazer award.

“When we started this back in 2017, I think there were probably a handful of passive U.S.-certified buildings here in Massachusetts. And they were small and they were residential,” Mahoney said.”

Certainly seems like it's on track!

 

[mass88]

Why do they do this? Dig up a pedestrian walkway to do utility work I am assuming, and then leave it looking like this? The seams between the concrete and asphalt will lead to further cracks and damage to the walkway.

 

[DZH22]

2/26 From Granite Links, Quincy.

IMG_0680 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0682 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[awood91]

Something strange about the wording. It's not going to be certified by the sound of it, just "use passive house design." Also, if I recall correctly, only the office is passive (or the other way around).

Passive House, developed in Germany, is an international set of standards widely regarded as the most advanced sustainability building code in the world.

Passive House Institute

Passive House Institute

passivehouse.com

 

[Dr. Rosen Rosen]

Notice in the first couple pics the fine vertical stripe pattern within the narrow glass. It really catches the surrounding colors.

Also, if there was ever a hidden-in-plain-sight CIA training center a la Jason Bourne, the red and pink foreground building would be it! Seriously what is that place??

 

[DBM]

Also, if there was ever a hidden-in-plain-sight CIA training center a la Jason Bourne, the red and pink foreground building would be it! Seriously what is that place??

Bro, do you even bench? Clearly not--or at least, not in DTX, otherwise you'd be seeing all the hulking specimens that comprise Emerson College's legendary football powerhouse going in there constantly to get diesel.

(In all seriousness, there's a very large and conspicuous "EMERSON" decal stenciled on the Arch Street doorway. From there it was just a matter of Googling "Emerson" and "Arch" together. Very first hit.)

 

[TomOfBoston]

Bro, do you even bench? Clearly not--or at least, not in DTX, otherwise you'd be seeing all the hulking specimens that comprise Emerson College's legendary football powerhouse going in there constantly to get diesel.

(In all seriousness, there's a very large and conspicuous "EMERSON" decal stenciled on the Arch Street doorway. From there it was just a matter of Googling "Emerson" and "Arch" together. Very first hit.)

Actually, the presence of a restaurant and a college fitness center in the building does not preclude there being a CIA ops center in the building.

The UDG on the first floor used to be a CVS. The ugly facade is now crumbling. A perfect cover!

 

[king_vibe]

Actually, the presence of a restaurant and a college fitness center in the building does not preclude there being a CIA ops center in the building.

The UDG on the first floor used to be a CVS. The ugly facade is now crumbling. A perfect cover!

Doesn’t Druker own it?

 

[DZH22]

2/26

IMG_0695 by David Z, on Flickr.

IMG_0707 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0718 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0741 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0762 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0776 by David Z, on Flickr

IMG_0780 by David Z, on Flickr

 

[stick n move]

The fact that its taller than millennium tower kind of ruins for me the way it appears in the skyline, because your brain expects it to be the defining tower of downtown, but its not. In reality MT is a perfectly appropriate tower to be downtowns centerpiece and it looks great, I just have to get over its height on paper and accept that it is still the centerpiece of downtown and theres nothing wrong with that.

Youre average person who looks at the skyline will just see MT as the crown of downtown without any preconceived notions about what “should” be the tallest, and see it for what it is in practice. My brain just has to get over this fact and then instead of subtle disappointment with the final result I can just be happy with some great new additions and with MT as the centerpiece of the downtown cluster (from most angles).

 

[kz1000ps]

Friday

 

[BosDevelop]

The glass looks almost purpleish in the second pic in the last set. Very cool.

 

[Patrick Winn]

This building is epic in the skyline approaching from the south on 93N. it's the skinny side, those vertical lines are prominent, and it's substantially bigger than the surrounding towers. sweet-ass-sweet. I also think due to proximity and perspective, the South Station Tower will absolutely loom on the 93N approach.

 

[stefal]

 

[chrisbrat]

 

[Life Coach Mike]

Bro, do you even bench? Clearly not--or at least, not in DTX, otherwise you'd be seeing all the hulking specimens that comprise Emerson College's legendary football powerhouse going in there constantly to get diesel.

(In all seriousness, there's a very large and conspicuous "EMERSON" decal stenciled on the Arch Street doorway. From there it was just a matter of Googling "Emerson" and "Arch" together. Very first hit.)

For decades it was the Bond Shoe Store, a familiar sight near Jordan Marsh.

 

[Nibbles O’Plenty]

For decades it was the Bond Shoe Store, a familiar sight near Jordan Marsh.

I bought a few leisure suits at Bond’s back in the 70’s!

 

[nm88]

I don’t get it. I admit that I’m as fallible as the next guy. My taste is just that – my taste. There’s no accounting for it… mine or yours…

But this is our city. And some choices, as we all know, last for decades.

To my eye, this is a fat generic box. Look at it. Design questions wrestled and answered? Really? Seems more like money questions wrestled and answered. It’s do-re-mi at stake here, my friend, I’m afraid, not quality design or, God forbid, the public realm. To my eye.

Creases in glass. That makes it, what, more Boston-like? More distinctive? This building would be equally undistinguished, I believe, in any city in the world no matter the setting. Most cities, yes, would shrug their shoulders, uncaring, grateful for the taxes. Most cities dream of having our assets, our history, our walkability, our brand. They don’t. We’re Boston. We’re different. Unfortunately, a little less so now.

And MP’s not done. They clear-cut an urban parklet – yes, one fraught with modern-day urban ills, no argument – to refashion it. I’m not optimistic. (Will they build what they proposed? One might ask.)

I know many agree there were other worthy proposals. Were they more representative of Boston? Who’s to say? They were certainly more adventurous. This one won, one assumes, because of the exorbitant fee MP offered to pay the city, and the dramatic public space it proposed for the lobby. The fee has since been reduced and the public realm substantially altered. Some might call that bait-and-switch.

MP is in business to make money. No finger-pointing. Understood. The city needs this kind of business. But I don’t think MP really cares much about Boston. I know some among us admire Millennium Tower; personally, I hope they never get to build in our city again.

What is slowly getting nibbled away - what makes Boston truly Boston - cannot be reclaimed when lost.

Is this better than what was once there, a public garage? That’s the wrong question. The better question: Was this the best we could do? I say, no.