Your 5 favorite buildings in Boston

Sicilian said:
^Rifleman

I've lost count of the number of posts I agree with you on, but not this one.

IMO the Federal Reserve tower is a beauty. In some light it is opalescent, and in other light it complements the sky. I also think it is perfectly suited to its location and disposition relative to the Fort Point Channel, amplifying the change in eras as one crosses the Summer Street bridge.
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Sicilian, I'm only human.
 
Both the State House and the Federal Reserve build are set way back from the street, are surrounded by lawns, walls and/or gates and bollards and yet I would never describe the State House as anti-urban. Strange.
 
So I didn't know that I.M. Pei designed the master plan for the Government Center Plaza. Fascinating. He was behind that, the tower on the Christian Science Plaza, AND the West Wing of the MFA and no one hanged him???
 
JohnAKeith said:
So I didn't know that I.M. Pei designed the master plan for the Government Center Plaza. Fascinating. He was behind that, the tower on the Christian Science Plaza, AND the West Wing of the MFA and no one hanged him???
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To his defense I think he's actually done some cool stuff. The only problem is none of that work was done in Boston. I would say we got stuck with his mistakes.
 
TheRifleman said:
To his defense I think he's actually done some cool stuff. The only problem is none of that work was done in Boston. I would say we got stuck with his mistakes.
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While I generally agree (don't forget the MIT tower and the harbor towers), the interior experience of the JFK Library is really well done. (And the exterior/landscape spaces are masterful, but that's Dan Kiley's scope more than Pei's.) But there are alot of things to like about that building, even if much of it is dated. 20 years from now we will be regarding it as a treasure of its time--that may be a small "we", but 15 years ago you'd have a hard time getting people to cotton to much of Rudolph's work.

Also for all that Pei did wrong in Boston, his partnership with Harry Cobb gave us the Hancock tower.
 
I generally like his MIT work (not just the tower, but also two of the low-rises surrounding it)
 
JohnAKeith said:
So I didn't know that I.M. Pei designed the master plan for the Government Center Plaza. Fascinating. He was behind that, the tower on the Christian Science Plaza, AND the West Wing of the MFA and no one hanged him???
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I have a soft spot in my heart for the Christian Science Center tower. I'm just not thrilled with the unbalanced massing at the top.
 
1. Trinity Church, HH Richardson
2. JFK Library & Museum, IM Pei
3. State Services/Hurley Building, Paul Rudolph (a creative tour-de-force, and I don't even like brutalism. Umass Dartmouth is similarly amazing.)
4. Original wing of Boston Public Library, McKim, Mead & White
5. Old State House, architect unknown


Runners Up:
6. Third Harrison Gray Otis House
7. Custom House
8. Beacon Hill Residences
9. Back Bay Residences
 
1. Trinity Church -- HH Richardson
2. Original wing of Boston Public Library -- McKim, Mead & White
3. Chadwick Leadworks -- William Preston
4. John Hancock Tower -- I.M. pei 7 patners (Henry Cobb)
5. Old west Church -- Asher Benjamin

Runners Up:
1. Original Wingof New State House -- Charles Bulfinch
2. Origianal base and Custom House Tower and its re-do -- multiple
3. Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market Complex and its re-do --multiple
4. Old State House -- architect unknown
5. Rowes Wharf


Special Mention for Logan Control Tower -- because it means you are home after a long trip
 
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