Yotel Hotel | SPSQ parcel J | 65 Seaport Blvd | South Boston Waterfront

The grey/white vertical panels that look like vinyl siding are off-putting, but the brick is well-done and lightyears beyond what we've seen on much ritzier accommodations.

I'm a huge fan of the proportions, and glad to see a building that isn't a monolithic cube or jutting out at random angles in a try-hard attempt to be unique. Slender buildings that build the street wall are a huge win, and we should be grateful for this one.

Finally, I really like the fact the facade motif continues all the way around the building. Compare this to the recent building (hotel, I think) on D Street that looks lovely from the front, but follows the suburban McMansion approach of investing in the street-facing facade (and a damn good one at that), while putting up some cheap looking crap on the back.
 
I think that the front of this building facing Seaport Square will be nice, but the back looks like the demonic face alla Edward Mordrake.
 
It appears they did it so when your in fort point between all of the red brick and mortar you dont have a hulking white mass hovering at the ends of the streets or over the buildings. They wanted to keep the colors homogenous when your inside of fort point. Then when your on seaport blvd it can essentially be whatever color it wants.
 
The red brick is a shame ... there is a clear color and proportion intention on the "front" but the red brick feels like a silly afterthought. Maybe the BRA thought that it had to have some contextualization?

cca
 
RandomWalk said:
Something feels off about the proportions of the building. It doesn't work for me.
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Shaped like the Sheraton North Tower, w/ cladding striving for a slightly less egregious version of the same general time period?

but, why?
 
Have you seen it in person? It looks way better than the Sheraton.
 
It does look good in person, I think. The white siding is a little weird...but I feel like it helps connect it to the siding on all of the houses in Southie. The dark brick on the back was clearly an effort to fit into the darker brick Fort Point buildings.

This will be great once up and running and fingers crossed they have a great rooftop bar.
 
ick, not liking the vinyl siding-esque center section...

i have been trying to withhold judgment on this building despite hint after hint that they're going on the cheap with materials...thus far, I'd been leaning toward thinking they'd pulled off a tasteful yet cost effective arrangement. This latest photo is causing me to change my mind.

For those who've seen this in person, what's your take?
 
bigpicture7 said:
ick, not liking the vinyl siding-esque center section...

i have been trying to withhold judgment on this building despite hint after hint that they're going on the cheap with materials...thus far, I'd been leaning toward thinking they'd pulled off a tasteful yet cost effective arrangement. This latest photo is causing me to change my mind.

For those who've seen this in person, what's your take?
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It's less vinyl siding-esque and more corrugated shipping container (which is better)
 
Yeah the center section is a bit clumsy and does look (in these photos) more vinyl than corrugated metal. The empty space at the top will get a big sign in that Yotel font? Hope so.
 
My take is, don't exhale too strongly when passing by or you'll blow the whole thing down.
 
Looks fine in person...Some people clearly don't understand the limitations of this parcel. It is extremely narrow, check out an areal.
 
falcon42 said:
Looks fine in person...Some people clearly don't understand the limitations of this parcel. It is extremely narrow, check out an areal.
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I respectfully disagree that this is about the parcel...I am thrilled that a developer was found to convert a narrow parcel into something useful. Having this building here will dramatically improve the streetwall and make the whole area feel less like an expansive wasteland of office buildings and parking lots. I am immensely grateful for this development for that reason...

And I appreciate the challenge they are rising to by trying to build a budget establishment in an expensive area/with expensive construction costs, etc.

My commentary is on materials choice, period. They have made some good choices so far, and I actually don't mind (I might even say like) the alternating gray and white panels and the brick-tiles...

But the corrugated material, including the poor fit/finish at the top portion (which as others have said, we hope will be covered by a Yotel sign) is starting to tip my opinion of the aesthetics of this place into disfavor. Those look like residential style windows surrounded by cheap material in that white-ish center section.

I have two remaining hopes...1) that the sign will fix the top....and 2) that the street level will draw our eyes away from the center section of the wall.

This place still has a chance, but man, it's teetering on the edge
 
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