Developer Don Chiofaro is proposing a new set of towers along the recently finished Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, adjacent to the Aquarium. This project — which is being compared to skyscrapers in Asia — will rival the height of the Prudential and Hancock Towers and is sure to spark a heated architectural debate...
"The project, when viewed from the water back toward the city, really is the gateway. It's the centerpiece of the harbor view," Chiofaro said. "The idea of the arch is to accent the opening to the city. It's not just two towers, it's actually three architectural elements." Read the whole article, Deconstructing Boston's Skyline, here.
The New York firm of KPF designed the buildings which are a mix of commercial space, condos and a hotel. The ground floor space between the buildings would allow for several stores, restaurants, and an upscale grocery. The commercial tower — the shorter of the two — would include about 860,000 square feet of office space while the more slender building would include roughly 120 condominiums above the hotel. The parking now available in the Harbor Garage would be moved underground.
Now, we are big supporters of new, well-designed architectural expression in Boston, moving away from the stale development that has plagued the city for decades. But something just doesn't seem right about this. The design, like many of the towers in Asia, is a one-liner. To us, the narrow "gateway" between the two buildings, with its cladding wrapped around to define the negative space, looks like a first-year design project, not a bold statement for the city. It lacks elegance because of poor massing and bad proportions. We are all for new design for Boston, we just don't believe this is it.
What are your thoughts?
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Comments (7)
Hasn't the iconic view of Boston-from-the-water come to be one including the hotel with the arch in the middle? I believe if the rendering above included one more building to the south, it would show that.
Between the new building at Russia Wharf, the proposed tower over South Station, the stalling of the rebuilding of Downtown Crossing, and the fact that the greenway still has large parcels that are yet to be developed, isn't there enough that has recently or is about to be reshaping this area of Boston?
Is there a shortage of office space and luxury condos?
in the digital rendering, I think it looks rather striking. it's clean and sharp sompared to the other buildings around it. I do agree, though, that it's nothing all that special architecturally speaking. but I don't think new buildings necessarily need to be ground-breaking or ultra avant garde to be worth building. if it looks good in the space and will fulfill a need and someone is willing to pay for it, go ahead. I don't forsee it happening in the near future, though.
(and it would be nice to see some proposals from bostonians.)
Boston loves to make big architectural mistakes. Look at City Hall. And we would be just the city to ruin the new Greenway which is fantastic.
However I can't imagine a project like this will go forward in our current economic climate. Maybe by the time we've recovered the city will have come to its senses.
Boston should leave the skyscraper esthetic to NYC and Chicago where it has historic purpose. It's not what people come here for.
you're right Charlotte!...leave us to our narrow paths and old brick and stones!! we love them..
..though they are beautiful Mr. Chiofaro..(I felt bad....)
There are several other proposed towers the BRA are considering that are receiving much less outcry from the community.
The Trans National Place in Wintrop Square and the South Station tower are two such towers.
I hope the city works to create these buildings before getting involved in what surely will become a turf war on the waterfront.