Mandarin Oriental

[LeTaureau]

We need updates on this project, since the former thread is lost. I noticed a nice crane has arrived at the site. There is a great view of the big red bird from my office across the river. If only I had a swank camera.

[shiz02130]

From yesterday:

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/05.25.06/mandarin.JPG

[kz1000ps]

Nothing new, just reposting what was lost in the Great Crash of '06

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/4155/5567dy.jpg

[kz1000ps]

Walked by the site today. Excavation is complete, and at least 75% of the sub-basement floor is poured. Depending on what type of core they use, we could be seing steel soon.

[castevens]

Great news, I want to see this thing go up!!

Hows Trilogy doing?

[kz1000ps]

99% of the exterior is done. The one big missing part was the crown for the southeast corner, which is now up. I believe it's louvered, and it is green, same color as the window frames on that side of the building. I don't have a camera anymore ( :evil: ), so words will have to suffice....


** Someone else please take over my construction update duties on the Mandarin and Trilogy! **

[bosdevelopment]

99% of the exterior is done. The one big missing part was the crown for the southeast corner, which is now up. I believe it's louvered, and it is green, same color as the window frames on that side of the building. I don't have a camera anymore ( :evil: ), so words will have to suffice....


** Someone else please take over my construction update duties on the Mandarin and Trilogy! **

you're not talking about the mandarin are you? The foundation is still being poured.

[kz1000ps]

Yes, but the entire western portion is done. I didn't get over to the eastern side, nor could I see from the west because of the big metal tubes holding the foundation walls up blocking it out. But up to and including the middle portion everything looked done, save for maybe a couple of approximately 20 x 20 foot patches. Yes/no?

[kz1000ps]

I'm sure many of you have already noticed its presence on the skyline, but a second crane is on its way up (it looked like just the cab and boom are needed). Also, the floor slab is entirely poured, and walls for the lowest basement level are somewhere between 30-50% complete.

[bosma]

http://home.comcast.net/~gtboston/location-map-1280.gif

http://home.comcast.net/~gtboston/06.jpg

[kz1000ps]

^That's a real slick rendering ... I hope the real thing can live up to it. It's sort of like watching NYC's 15 Central Park West rise - both are sheathed in limestone and have aspirations to be the best of the best, but who knows how they'll turn out. Anyway..


Steel is rising! 6 columns are up to street level, although no beams have connected them together yet. The basement floor looks to be entirely poured, all the 4-ft-diameter tubes used to hold the slurry wall in place are gone, and HVAC equipment has started to appear. The little western-most section in between the garage driveway and the mall entrance has steel up to the first floor, that part not having any basement.

For all of those with a camera, now'd be a good time to get some shots. Steel parts practically cover the floor.

[castevens]

Unfortunately, there will never be such a view of that building to begin with. Boylston street right there is so thin and the buildings across the street are so close. That is such a great rendering, though, I love it.

You can see in the rendering the "glassy" ground across Boylston from it, which are where the buildings on the other side are. Oh well, what can you do. I'm sure the real views will be great, but they'll be from more of an upward angle as you'd be closer to the building.

[lexicon506]

Is Mandarin Oriental a British company, because in the rendering the union jack is flying right next to the American flag.

[awood91]

^ the company is asian, the first one was in Hong Kong. i have no idea about the flag.

[DowntownDave]

It's incorporated in Bermuda.

[Ron Newman]

Is that maybe a view from inside a window of one of the buildings across the street?

[castevens]

The glassy silver part of the ground is the footprint of the buildings across the street, which means that the view would be impossible unless you were standing all the way on NEWBURY street, AND all the buildings in between Newbury and Boylston were torn down.

Now, imagine standing in that picture where Boylston St. ends and the glassy silvery area begins, and then look at the Madarin. It would be a much closer and higher angle.

But, like i said, this building IMO will still be amazing, we just wont get these particular views.

[kz1000ps]

Yeah, nothing to lose sleep over. The render misleads, but how often do they not do that?

But I'm curious, what will happen to the garage/service entrance that is currently just east of the Boylston entrance to the Pru mall? According to the site plan, it'll be completely wiped away by the third of the Mandarin farthest to the west. Now I don't know the network of parking ramps and such that goes on under the complex, but this can't be a big loss, can it? And seeming how the subterranean basement comes right up to the existing road, some 75 ft. further west than the smaller middle section shown in the site plan that Bosma posted, I don't see how things line up. I suppose I'm just over-analyzing..

[castevens]

If I remember correctly (and if I'm understanding you correctly) they wiped away that entrance lonnnng ago

[kz1000ps]

No the one I'm talking about is still in heavy use. It's about 30 feet east of the mall entrance and goes into the complex (perpendicular to Boylston), rather than the parking ramp entrance that used to run parallel to Boylston, which is what I believe you're talking about. That was wiped away this time last year.

[castevens]

rather than the parking ramp entrance that used to run parallel to Boylston, which is what I believe you're talking about.

Yeah that's the one I was thinking of.

Then again, I myself have not been to Boston (besides the Dave Matthews concert, but I just drove in, went, and left because I was with my girl in a wheelchair) in a few months

[quadratdackel]

Walking by earlier this morning, we've got steel beams poking up out of the ground, plus some nifty construction structures. They've probably gone up within the last week or so- I don't recall exactly when I last walked by, but I don't remember seeing these before. Sorry I didn't have my camera on me, although it was raining anyways. I should be able to get some pics in the next few days or so, but not until after Wednesday, which is when I defend my masters thesis. (Wish me luck!)

[kz1000ps]

Good luck!

Steel is up to the second floor in many spots on the western half of the site, but the area east of Fairfield St has none - they're just finishing up pouring the foundation wall.

And Quadratdackel, a note for when you go taking pictures -- go after 5 pm, because then you'll be able to walk up the service ramp by the mall entrance and take pictures through the viewing windows in the plywood. During construction hours there are cops blocking it off from peds due to safety precautions while the cranes are in use.

[bostonman]

Hey guys this is my first post.

Anyway, I was in Boston on Saturday, and was able to get a bunch of pics of the site. I already posted them http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The Residences at the Mandarin Oriental/. I can post them here in the future. If you go back to the Construction part, you can also see pics of Battery Wharf, Columbus Center, and a couple others.[/url]

[FastLane]

Hi bostonman. Thanks for sharing your pics. I think you have an extra "http//" in your link that you should edit out so people can find it more easily.

Here are a few more pictures of the Mandarin Oriental from this afternoon:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n31/edwenger/MandarinOriental6.jpg

This view of the Avalon apartment buildings won't be around much longer now that the steel has begun to go up.
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n31/edwenger/MandarinOriental5.jpg

[castevens]

This view of the Avalon apartment buildings won't be around much longer now that the steel has begun to go up.

YAY!

[bostonman]

FastLane was right. For some bizarre reason, the url is really messed up and I keep getting a message saying that the website is not available. I'll post them here when I have time to save you guys the trouble. I'll post them tonight. Go to www.freewebs.com/bostontr/ if you do not want to wait.

[bostonman]

Here are the pics of the Mandarin Oriental:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0216.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0215.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0213.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0212.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0211.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0210.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0209.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0207.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0206.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0205.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0202.jpg

Sorry they are late, things got kinda crazy last night and I didn't have time to post them.

[bostonman]

I got some pics from the Mandarin Oriental the other day. Structure has definitely reached the second and maybe third floor in a couple places. I have pics at bostonspot.co.nr. I will definitely post them here tomorrow.

[quadratdackel]

A lot of the other Mandarin Orientals around the world aren't that interesting, but the one in Hyde Park, London sure is:

http://www.london.hotelsoffer.com/hotel/hotels/mandarin_oriental_hyde_park_hotel.jpg

An uninteresting example is Miami:
http://spas.about.com/library/graphics/Mandarin%20Oriental2%20016.jpg

[Merper]

my sister lived behind the Mandarin in Miami, and I have to say, it looks vastly better from afar.

[bostonman]

Here are the pics I promised last night. They are from the seventeenth:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0312.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0315.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0316.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0317.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0318.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0321.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0324.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0323.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0326.jpg

There you go. I have more pics of other construction sites on my site, in case you wanted to see them.

[JaysonL]

Is the Mandarin going to be dressed in the tacky brick as shown in the mockup? The website's renderings show only elegant blocks of limestone and granite. Did they pull a Commonwealth Hotel and switch to the cheaper material?

[Mike]

^ write to Robin Brown and ask him. I wrote him an email last year asking about the first change they made to the design and he emailed me back a response the same day.


http://www.residencesatmandarinorientalboston.com/content/contact/index.jsp


btw - welcome back!

[ckb]

The second picture from the bottom in Bostonman's most recent post shows the ramp that kz was asking about upthread ...
[/quote]

[kz1000ps]

Right. I guess they're just effectively extending the tunnel out, and actually now that I went back and looked at the site plan posted on the first page, you can see that it was to remain there all along. Either way I'm excited to see steel decking already up to the second floor. But it's curious that not a single piece of steel has been erected west of the eastern streetwall to Fairfield St (I hope that makes sense). I'm not sure what will be going in the little eastern third portion of the building, but it obviously is going to be completed much earlier than the bigger part.

And one last thing I've noticed, the sidewalks are not going to be very wide at all, perhaps no more than 12 ft, which doesn't make too much sense to me for this stretch. Although we're not exactly at ped-lock, you would assume that 26' wide (10' public ROW, 16' typical Back Bay setback requirement) sidewalks would be requisite in the area, given the heavy loads at nearly all times of day around there.

[bostonman]

Pics from 8/30:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0527.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0526.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0525.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h4/themeparkfreak/Construction/The%20Residences%20at%20the%20Mandarin%20Oriental/IMGP0524.jpg

[jass]

9/11

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5166.jpg

[jass]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5272.jpg

9/20

[kz1000ps]

^ Note that the steel decking has finally reached ground level on the eastern half of the site. I wonder what the rationale is behind that..

[xec]

http://static.flickr.com/89/263434572_f6c221506a_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/102/263434571_53d42be63e_b.jpg

Saks renovation is under way
http://static.flickr.com/85/263434574_e6d6f58719_b.jpg

[briv]

Xec, youre the man.

I dont think people really realize how massive this project really is. The relatively small amount of steel they have up now is already making a huge impact on this stretch of Boylston, and even at its highest it's only about 1/3 the way up. When The Mandarin is finally completed its going to truly redefine this part of town in a very profound way.

[jass]

Heh, I was walking past it tonight, thinking to myself "i should come back tommorow during the day for some shots". Looks like thats no longer necessary,

[TheBostonian]

This spot will never be the same.

[kz1000ps]

Xec, you just missed getting the mock-up for Sak's into your picture -- it's just to the right. But not to worry, it's about as blah as the renovation done for Lord & Taylor.

And just how much longer is it going to take before they finish up installing the pavers in front of L&T at the corner of Boylston and E. Ring Road??

[Ron Newman]

"East Ring Road" needs a new name, by the way. There's nothing else left from the former "Ring" around the Pru.

[kz1000ps]

^ Agreed. Anyway, yesterday I complain about when they'll finish doing the pavers at L&T and today they finally are, and overall they look rather nice. Another interesting thing, they are already pouring the sidewalks in front of the Mandarin. It looked like a quarter of the length had been done today and the cement truck was still working. Does anyone with construction knowledge know if this is normal to do them so early on? Considering how they block off that entire side of the road to peds during construction hours it seems we won't get to use them for months to come.

[bosdevelopment]

^ Agreed. Anyway, yesterday I complain about when they'll finish doing the pavers at L&T and today they finally are, and overall they look rather nice. Another interesting thing, they are already pouring the sidewalks in front of the Mandarin. It looked like a quarter of the length had been done today and the cement truck was still working. Does anyone with construction knowledge know if this is normal to do them so early on? Considering how they block off that entire side of the road to peds during construction hours it seems we won't get to use them for months to come.

It's my assumption that this is is temporary. They did this at BU when they were building the new arena. Eventually this will area will be paved over with bricks I'm sure.

[Ron Newman]

You can't walk down East Ring Road next to Boylston at all. The entire street, including both sidewalks, is fenced off. Must be a pain for Back Bay people shopping at Shaw's.

East Ring Road should be renamed to Prudential Way.

[IMAngry]

I used to take the #9 bus, all the time.

When they started the L&T reconstruction, the bus stop outside was blocked off. Did anyone ask if that was okay?

Now, the entire street is shut down. Where does the #9 go, now? Did anyone ask if that was okay?

Doubt it.

Thanks, Healey.

[Ron Newman]

A sign says that the bus stop was moved to the corner of Boylston and Gloucester streets. The next one is in front of the Library.

From the T's Transit Updates page (http://www.mbta.com/traveling_t/transitupdates.asp#bus):
Construction Related Diversions

Route 09 (inbound only) Diverted for five to six weeks.
At Ring Road, right on Belvidere to Dalton Steet, to a right on Boylston Street to resume the regular route.


I think they really mean right from Huntington to Belvidere, right on Dalton, right on Boylston. Like the #39 bus route.

(Why are you blaming this on Kerry Healey?)

[belmont square]

East Ring Road should be renamed to Prudential Way.

How about Prudential Street, or something else Street? I can't stand Ways, Lanes, Roads (at least those that aren't surviving pre-urban-era names, such as the alleys in the Blackstone Block, or Columbia Road). Not sure what bothers me more--suburban subdivision sounding street names like "Seaport Lane" and Cardinal O'Connell Way, or creating an entirely new street for a single office building (1 Boston Place, 1 Devonshire Place, 2 International Place, etc.)

By the way--Lord and Taylor provides a good shortcut from Shaw's to Copley Station/Back Bay neighborhood during the street closure.

[IMAngry]

For names: How about Herb Chambers Alley, after one of the new owners in the Mandarin?

I was joking about Kerry Healey, because I thought it was funny. People blame politicians for just about anything and everything.

I like that route, better, in fact. Can they keep it, after the construction is done? Maybe they'd pick up some more riders, that way, from the other side of Prudential, Christian Science Church, and even Northeastern?

[kz1000ps]

Another route, for if you're heading anywhere in the northeast direction, is to walk towards the Pru by way of the plaza in between Saks and the Boylston and Gloucester apartment towers, and once you're in the mall make a right for the Boylston St. entrance. You look a wee bit silly carrying grocery bags through the mall (or at least the security guard thought so judging by his less-than-cursory glance), but it works.

[Ron Newman]

I wish they had found some indoor way to connect the new Shaw's to the mall, like the old Star Market was.

[jass]

Theres an even easier way to get around it, theres a pedestrian path in the parking garage between shaws and the department store

[kz1000ps]

Please elaborate. As a resident for a whopping nearly two years of Boston with no car in posession I know nothing of the underground network of the Pru. Are you talking about the entrance to the Avalon?

[massave]

Please elaborate. As a resident for a whopping nearly two years of Boston with no car in posession I know nothing of the underground network of the Pru. Are you talking about the entrance to the Avalon?

Go to the Shaw's exit along Huntington and take the elevator to the garage (I believe it's the orange level). From there, the first elevator bank you see in front of you will bring you to California pizza kitchen. The one a bit further down to the right will bring you into Saks.

[Ron Newman]

I haven't a clue either, and I thought Avalon was a club on Lansdowne Street.

[kz1000ps]

Whoops, I meant the Fairfield, or one of those apartment towers.

[kz1000ps]

For the record, the reason why I said "Avalon" was because the name of the umbrella group that runs the three apartment towers and the professional offices in the lower floors is "Avalon at Prudential Center." In other words my brain is still working correctly. (phew!)

[jass]

Updatel 24/10/06

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5550.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5551.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5552.jpg

[statler]

Updatel 24/10/06
Where are you from with your crazy, backwards-ass date writing? :?:

Oh and thanks for the updates.

[jass]

Changing the view of the skyline, as of November 4, 2006

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5675.jpg

[bdurden]

My favorite Boston development for sure.

[IMAngry]

If you haven't been by there since they started building, go by. It is REALLY close to the street.

We'll be able to read the newspaper over Herb Chamber's arm, is what I'm saying.

[kz1000ps]

That's what I was saying before in regards to the sidewalk width, which looks like it will be around 16 feet -- barely adequate for the area.

[bosdevelopment]

If you haven't been by there since they started building, go by. It is REALLY close to the street.

We'll be able to read the newspaper over Herb Chamber's arm, is what I'm saying.

Trilogy is ridiculously close to the street on the theatre side.

[kz1000ps]

Yes it is.. no more than 10 feet. Plus they didn't plant any trees on that side.

Also, I was walking by the other day, and it was quite the dichotomy to see the big fancy-schmancy new furniture store located right next to Emack and Bolio's newest location, which is positively tiny. I found the floor plan for the place and the E&B is 323 sq ft (!), but in the name of staying on topic I'm going to post it in the proper thread.

[kz1000ps]

Earlier today

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/5277/mandarin3qe4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/6521/mandarin4ku7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Is that the frame for an elevator shaft?

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/5117/mandarin2ev5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Looking in from the corner of Boylston and East Ring Road.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1273/mandarin1jv2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Now we can see along the back that there's a mezzanine-type floor splitting the roughly 20 foot high first floor -- will the retail spaces be 20 feet high, or will they be building their space with second floors to suit later on?

[bosma]

Buildings too close to the street and poor streetscape is a major reason NIMBYS hate skyscrapers.

[bowesst]

How is this building too close to the street? If it was 10 more feet away you'd all be crying about how its not close enough.

[kz1000ps]

It's too early to say whether the streetscape is bad or not, because there is none to speak of, so that's a moot point as of right now. And as I've said before, I think it's a bit close, but in general, as Bowwest points out, it's better to be in too close than too far. Plus, Mumbles Menino has declared that all new development should be tight up to the streetline, although he made that an unofficial policy long after the Mandarin was designed.

[justin]

'Too close to the street' is a solecism. The street is *defined* by the buildings; interpose a lawn and you get a suburban space-ooze.

That baby is right where it should be.

justin

[jass]

'Too close to the street' is a solecism. The street is *defined* by the buildings; interpose a lawn and you get a suburban space-ooze.

That baby is right where it should be.

justin

Look at the Pru entrance on the side. Shouldnt they be the same?

[bowesst]

'Too close to the street' is a solecism. The street is *defined* by the buildings; interpose a lawn and you get a suburban space-ooze.

That baby is right where it should be.

justin

Look at the Pru entrance on the side. Shouldnt they be the same?

Yeah they should be the same distance from the street if this was Charlotte or Atlanta.

[Giorgio]

The Pru entrance is simply a finger-like extension off of the Pru shops, definitely not what I would consider to be any type of street wall. If you look at the site plan posted a few pages back, you will see that the Mandarin's street wall does in fact line up neatly with Lord & Taylor, the Lenox Hotel and the rest of Boylston St.

[Ron Newman]

Is the concern here that the sidewalk is too narrow and people will spill out into the street?

(This actually happens in a few places, such as Church Street in Harvard Square, and Hanover Street in the North End.)

[bbfen]

I think there's a certain about of surprise in the neighborhood (on the new depth of the sidewalk), having lived with the gaping hole that formerly occupied that space for so many years.

I personally feel it's "just right" to match up with The Lenox and L&T--there seems to be just enough space without it being an open wasteland like farther down between Berkeley and Clarendon (500 Boylston).

[kz1000ps]

^ Counting what were most certainly 4 foot sidewalk panels, the Mandarin will be set back 20 feet from the curb.

Today, sorry about the blurriness.. I had a car bearing down on me.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2076/mandarin7dq1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[shiz02130]

Friday, Nov. 24

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/mandarin1.JPG

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/mandarin2.JPG

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/mandarin3.JPG

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/mandarin4.JPG

http://www.seanhenryryan.com/arch/mandarin5.JPG

[kz1000ps]

As is evidenced by the car in the last picture, East Ring Road has been re-opened, and the frame to the overpass is complete.

[kz1000ps]

From today (Wednesday). Oh and the highest point on this building is 170 ft.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/91/mandarin81129da4.jpg

A new (smallish) crane being erected

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4629/mandarin9ly8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/3820/mandarin10bf1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9880/mandarin12uv0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Eestern corner ready for concrete pour

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/4442/mandarin13du5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


And the facade mock-up for Saks

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/4205/mandarin11ks0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[TC]

That 'new smallish crane' being erected looks like the material hoist. There will probably be a second one installed due to the way the buildings are split.

[Roxxma]

And the facade mock-up for Saks

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/4205/mandarin11ks0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Are they going to disguise Saks as a vent building for the Turnpike?

[tocoto]

This building has far more impact on the Back Bay than any other recent building including 111 Huntigton Ave. For better or worse in one project we get major shadowing on Boylston street, a large new street wall, a nice screen for the crddy Pru center apartments among other things. Its ironic that this short building which was embraced by the neighbors does far more to change the look and feel of the neighborhood than the 600 footer proposed at the corner of Boylston and Mass Ave would have done. Maybe this will help people see the value of tall thin buildings that let in light and preserve views. I hope so. In the meantime, I pray that the exterior finish of the MO is of extremely high quality since there will be so much of it at eye level.

[statler]

Shadows make me S.A.D. :cry:

Buyer's remorse? $14.3m condo allegedly lacks light
The buyer of Boston's most expensive condominium is suing to get out of the deal

By Kimberly Blanton, Globe Staff | December 5, 2006

The buyer of Boston's most expensive condominium, the $14.3 million penthouse at the swank Residences at Mandarin under construction at the Prudential Center, sued the developers to get out of the deal, saying the unit doesn't have enough light.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in US District Court in Boston, the prospective buyer, Florida real estate developer Pritam Singh, said that Mandarin's proponents, CWB Boylston LLC, intentionally withheld information about how much light was available in the penthouse, and how much shadow was created by nearby buildings. Singh said the issue was "of critical importance" to himself and his wife and business partner, Ann Johnston, who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, which triggers depression in the dark winter months.

If the sale closed, the penthouse would be the most expensive residential property sale recorded in Boston history, according to a mid-November ranking by Listing Information Network, which tracks the downtown market. The 50-unit project, which will offer top-drawer hotel services to residents when it opens in 2008 including dog-sitting and delivery of raw steaks to residents' rooftop patios for grilling, has lured high-profile buyers such as car-dealership magnate Herb Chambers and one of the Boston Celtics owners, Robert Epstein. The project also includes a 149-room hotel.

One of the big draws at the Mandarin is partner Robin Brown, who in 14 years as general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Boston built a reputation for service by pampering power brokers and celebrities.

The developers immediately fired back at Singh. The lawsuit "is nothing but a publicity scam by a sophisticated real estate developer to get his $3.3 million deposit back," Alan Eisner, a spokesman for Goulston & Storrs, CWB Boylston's attorneys, said in a statement yesterday. The statement said that CWB worked closely with Singh and with architects to address his concerns about lighting, and "and he knew exactly what he was buying." Singh signed a purchase and sale agreement for his unit in May 2005, and put down a $3.4 million deposit, the suit said. Since then, the median price of a condominium in the Boston areas has fallen 7 percent, though the luxury market remains strong.

Singh denied that he was backing out because of falling prices. "Condo prices go up and down," Singh, who grew up in Fitchburg, said in an interview yesterday."When I went to buy this I thought I was buying the best property in the city.

"This is Boston, and it's dark early," he said. "I can buy any place I want. Why would I buy a place that was dark? If you know it's going to be extensively in shadows you should tell someone." Singh is known for developing the Truman Annex, a former naval station, into a mixed-use and residential project in Key West.

Singh signed a purchase and sale agreement in May 2005 for the penthouse, which occupies nearly 7,000 square feet on Mandarin's top floor.

When he signed it, he paid a $3.4 million deposit to reserve the unit, the suit said. Singh is seeking to rescind his purchase contract with CWB, a partnership among developers Stephen Weiner and Julian Cohen and former hotelier Brown. Singh's suit said he wants his deposit back.

The prior record for a Boston condo sale, set in October 2003, was a $9.1 million for a unit on Commonwealth Avenue.

The suit said the sales brochures described light that would "flood through the windows" but they "vastly understated the nearly constant state of darkness which, for much of the year, will affect the exterior windows, gardens and porches of the unit." The developer did not disclose to Singh a study of shadows on the building that was prepared for the project's proposal to the city, he said.

CWB's spokesman, Eisner, said the study for the city was primarily concerned with the shadows caused by Mandarin itself, and there was "no reference in the study to shadows cast on individual units." Kimberly Blanton can be reached at blanton@globe.com.
Link (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/12/05/moving_out/)

[bosdevelopment]

wow

talk about buyer's remorse.

Be careful with those purchase and sale agreements. This is the best example of one coming back to bite you in the ass

[kz1000ps]

Come on. Are they really that uneducated to go into a deal, where there are obviously 5+ light-blocking towers to the south, hoping for plenty of sun, only to later renege on the deal because they firsthand walked through their rooms and discovered otherwise? This should be obvious stuff considereing where there were looking.

[IMAngry]

Yes, they would've walked around, presumably, and realized there was no light.

You said,

"Because they firsthand walked through their rooms ..."

They didn't - when they "walked around" in March, there was no unit there ... it was still a hole in the ground. He saw exactly what he saw when he put down his deposit.

Even now, no one would be allowed up inside the building, except construction crews.

[kz1000ps]

Ah yes, my mistake. It was late and I wasn't entirely sober :D

[bbfen]

This building has far more impact on the Back Bay than any other recent building including 111 Huntigton Ave. For better or worse in one project we get major shadowing on Boylston street, a large new street wall, a nice screen for the crddy Pru center apartments among other things. Its ironic that this short building which was embraced by the neighbors does far more to change the look and feel of the neighborhood than the 600 footer proposed at the corner of Boylston and Mass Ave would have done. Maybe this will help people see the value of tall thin buildings that let in light and preserve views. I hope so. In the meantime, I pray that the exterior finish of the MO is of extremely high quality since there will be so much of it at eye level.

Reviewing the original planned density for the Prudential complex, and what's been proposed over the years to keep Back Bay, Fenway and South End neighborhoods intact (i.e. all high construction constrained south of Boylston, west of Mass Ave and north of Huntington), a project like this is more palatable than the Millennium proposal. Millennium was of course north of Boylston and west of Mass Ave. Barely, but enough of a departure from the previous thirty years of planning and conversation that it caused protest (it didn't help that there was no outreach to the neighbors, but that's all for another day).

To listen to Richard (and a few others) drone on and on and on and on in these neighborhood meetings gives a very false impression that this part of Boston is militantly anti-construction ... of anything, from Apple to Oriental (recently he was talking about sidewalk markings and beeping walk signals and everything that's wrong with a project that is in the idea and discussion stages! There's not even an architect yet, just conversations along the lines of, "What if ...").

I think the concern is that the finished project serves, provides cohesion to, and lives well, within the context of the neighborhood, e.g. Hancock works in Copley Square but City Hall overwhelmed Scollay Square. The Millennium was a City Hall, not a Hancock.

Mandarin will be shadowy at certain times of the day, and will create a new street-scape, but that was always intended for that area. It's been "borrowed" time to not have a building there. I do think it will be the last "dense" building west of Park Square for a while.

[Ron Newman]

who is Richard? I'm out of context here.

The Prudential complex has room to shoehorn in a couple of other buildings, along Exeter Street (or is it Ring Road?) and in front of the mall food court.

[bbfen]

Richard (who's last name I cannot recall) is an awfully friendly, if somewhat doddy and slightly crazed NIMBY-ish resident of the Back Bay for the last 900 years or so. For example, when talking about the various options for Storrow Drive tunnel options and traffic impact on surrounding streets, he'd be the one to interrupt the presentation over whether environmentally sensitive humane rat traps would be placed every block or every half block ... and follow-up with how often they'd be checked.

Nice guy, with good intentetions. I think he realizes that progress happens, and some of that progress half the people won't like, but does his best to prolong the process by focusing on the some of the more obscure aspects of city development. If you ever get in a meeting with him, you'll know it.

[kz1000ps]

Ohhh boy, recalling my experience at the meeting over the Apple Store, I know EXACTLY who you are talking about. Boy does he ever elicit a big ol' roll of the eyes.

[Patrick]

From today's Portland Press Herald: pressherald.com

Buyer Wants Out Of $14 Million Condo Deal

BOSTON - A little sunlight can be worth a lot. Say $14.3 million.
The prospective buyer of Boston's most expensive condominium filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court to get out of the deal after putting down a deposit worth more than $3 million.
Real estate developer Pritam Singh alleged the CWB Boylston LLC, the developers of the Residences at Mandarin, misled him about how much light the 7,000-square-foot penthouse condo received.
The issue was more than aesthetic, Singh said, because his wife and business partner, Ann Johnston, has seasonal affective disorder, and her depression is exacerbated by a lack of sunlight.
Singh is from Brunswick, Maine, and developed a number of properties from Cape Elizabeth to Freeport.
A spokesman for CWB Boylston's lawyers, Goulston & Storrs, said in a statement that the lawsuit was a "publicity scam by a sophisticated real estate developer to get his $3.3 million back." The statement said CWB and Singh worked together to ensure the lighting was adequate. The median price of a condominium has fallen about 7 percent since Singh signed for the condominium in May 2005.
Singh told The Boston Globe that falling prices had nothing to do with his trying to back out of the deal.
"I can buy any place I want. Why would I buy a place that was dark? If you know it's going to be extensively in the shadows you should tell someone," the former Fitchburg resident said.
If the sale goes through, it will be the largest for a residential property in Boston's history, according to a ranking done in November by Listing Information Network. The Residences at Mandarin building, scheduled to open in 2008, will have 50 units and offer lavish concierge services such as rooftop food delivery and pet-sitting.
If Singh's suit is successful, the 2003 sale of a unit on Commonwealth Avenue for $9.1 million will remain the most expensive real estate transaction in the city's history.


Reader comments

Joe of New Gloucester, ME
Dec 7, 2006 10:28 AM
The real reason: "The median price of a condominium has fallen about 7 percent since Singh signed for the condominium in May 2005."

Sorry pal, bad investment. Too bad you signed the contract. He is done. Throw it out of the court.

JP
Dec 7, 2006 9:49 AM
Looks to me like Singh can't afford to buy it and isn't honest enough to admit it.

If Johnston really has seasonal affective disorder, there are a lot of places for the beautiful people (Like West Palm Beach) offering lots of sun, year round.

Kit of Portland, ME
Dec 7, 2006 9:30 AM
Maybe he needs the $$$ for the 30M oars.....

Tom Fassing of Saco, ME
Dec 7, 2006 8:54 AM
Boo Hoo, if you have all the money you say you do then go buy a suntan bed for every room in the new house.

[jass]

My last update for a month. Maybe someone can take pics in early January?

Taken today, 14/12/06

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5965.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5966.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5967.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_5969.jpg

[kz1000ps]

Jass I go by this building a couple times a week, so I've got things covered as well as my crappy cell cam will allow. But this is growing slowly (well, at laest in the vertical sense), so there might not even be any need to document it while you're gone.

[gravedigger4444]

Buildings like this (10 or so stories and are long) really add/make for great street wall.

[kz1000ps]

Today:

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/3991/img0174ub5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/5335/img0176of6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/5936/img0177px2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Roxxma]

Are Christo and Jeanne-Claude are visiting Boston?!

[castevens]

Haha, the first thing i thought of was the Reichstag also

[kz1000ps]

Dramatically reshaping the skyline!!!

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/118/img0398em2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ablarc]

Buildings like this (10 or so stories and are long) really add/make for great street wall.
Yup, and the Apple Store should have been that height too.

Nice that Boylston street is getting completed toward its ultimate potential as a Parisisan boulevard. (Though I confess I might miss that eruption of Modernist [non-]space that stretch of the street's south side represented for so long.)

[kz1000ps]

http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/2632/img0631il9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[kz1000ps]

Two more floors to go on the western portion, four on the eastern:

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/4139/img0921tt4.jpg

[bosma]

My god, look at those shadows in the last picture.

Seriously though, should have been a few more stories higher allowing more of a setback from the street.

[bosdevelopment]

My god, look at those shadows in the last picture.

Seriously though, should have been a few more stories higher allowing more of a setback from the street.

Those shadows do kind of suck.

[Ron Newman]

At what time of day was the photo taken?

[justin]

I think this calls for selective demolition of buildings, especially in the over-dense Financial District, so that the people can photo-synthesise properly,

justin

[JS38]

LOL Justin that was a hilarious comment, kudos! :lol: - JS38

[bowesst]

Walk around Beacon Hill during that time of day and tell me if you see any shadows.

[kz1000ps]

At what time of day was the photo taken?

1:15 PM on 1/9/2007

[Waldorf]

I think the camera exaggerated the darkness of the shadows in this picture. Obviously it was balanced to the brightness of the white curtain on the Mandarin Oriental building. I have never seen very dark shadows on Boylston like that.

[kz1000ps]

Correct. The sun was shining at full force at that moment and the camera balanced the picture out around that bright white curtain. The shadows there now with Mandarin reaching full height are hardly any worse than they were before.. the Pru plus those 3 residential towers have been casting shadows over a similar area for 40 years now.

[kz1000ps]

The western third is nearly topped out

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/5738/img12141ai.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And on the other side of the Pru, the last of the four original retail wings is being reconstructed to bring us a P.F. Chang's by summertime

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8343/img10866kp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Ron Newman]

Is that where March? M?venpick was?

[aHigherBoston78]

"Is that where March? M?venpick was?"

YES

[Merper]

...too bad that it looks like they are doing nothing to make the former Marche space come out to the street and form a proper street wall. But if they put outdoor tables out there, it could still be a slight improvement..... in summer anyways.

[kz1000ps]

These are from Wednesday

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/6175/img1379gy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Steel has topped out on the western part of the building

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/3121/img1380rz1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And studs have been installed up to the 6th floor

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1897/img1381mb0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[ablarc]

Streetwall at last.

[bowesst]

These are from Wednesday

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/6175/img1379gy8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



I hope the stretch of Boylston between Trilogy and the Fens looks like that one day.

[czsz]

It's a shame about the Marche Movenpick. It felt somewhat like a cosmopolitan institution...the only other one I've ever seen was in Montreal. With multiple PF Changs littering its landscape, Boston sends the message that it's less on par with multilingual world cities and moreso with provincial recepticles for chain franchises- the likes of Louisville or something.

As for Boylston, the mismatching (and in each case ugly) traffic light configuration reduces the pleasantness of its vista considerably. Give that street a different context (strip malls instead of the extant strip mall) and it could be in suburban Phoenix. The street must become urban in and of itself, and not rely on being the sum of its component parts.

[bosdevelopment]

It's a shame about the Marche Movenpick. It felt somewhat like a cosmopolitan institution...the only other one I've ever seen was in Montreal. With multiple PF Changs littering its landscape, Boston sends the message that it's less on par with multilingual world cities and moreso with provincial recepticles for chain franchises- the likes of Louisville or something.

As for Boylston, the mismatching (and in each case ugly) traffic light configuration reduces the pleasantness of its vista considerably. Give that street a different context (strip malls instead of the extant strip mall) and it could be in suburban Phoenix. The street must become urban in and of itself, and not rely on being the sum of its component parts.


What?

[lexicon506]

As for Boylston, the mismatching (and in each case ugly) traffic light configuration reduces the pleasantness of its vista considerably. Give that street a different context (strip malls instead of the extant strip mall) and it could be in suburban Phoenix. The street must become urban in and of itself, and not rely on being the sum of its component parts.

Ummm...hate to burst your bubble, but Boylston looks nothing like a strip mall. It is actually a very urban street that Phoenix could only dream of. I really couldn't care less about the traffic light configuration....

[bbfen]

Multiple PF Changs? There's more than the one that's prepping to go into the Marche space? I believe the one by the Theater District is closing when the new location opens (or did close already?). I thought I saw the request for their liquor license transfer a few weeks ago.

Phoenix? It has a library designed by world-class architects? A unique collection of historic churches? A contemporary tower contrasting nicely with the neighboring "old" buildings, and another, even newer contemporary building housing an Apple Store (well, we'll soon have the latter ...). Two incredible liberal arts schools as bookends? An eclectic mix of old and new properties that (despite your opinion of the individual buildings) make up a diverse streetscape with a wide variety of shopping and dining experiences?

Maybe I should stop by Phoenix when I'm out west next month.

[Ron Newman]

As for Boylston, the mismatching (and in each case ugly) traffic light configuration reduces the pleasantness of its vista considerably.

That should be easy to fix. Remove all the overhead traffic lights on Boylston, and relegate them to poles on the right and left sides of the street. One on each side is all you need. This works fine on Comm. Ave. and Newbury.

This would be a good idea throughout the center city.

[blade_bltz]

bbfen - thanks for that. saved me some breath.

[jass]

As for Boylston, the mismatching (and in each case ugly) traffic light configuration reduces the pleasantness of its vista considerably.

That should be easy to fix. Remove all the overhead traffic lights on Boylston, and relegate them to poles on the right and left sides of the street. One on each side is all you need. This works fine on Comm. Ave. and Newbury.

This would be a good idea throughout the center city.

Boylston is much, much wider though.

[Ron Newman]

That shouldn't matter, though. Beacon is equally wide and has traffic lights only at the sides. The same thing should be done with all the lights on the parkways such as Memorial Drive, Fenway, and Riverway.

[bosdevelopment]

What does the location of traffic lights have to do with anything? It's a street, there are lights on it - what else would you expect? As far as comparing Boylston Street to Phoenix... If anything, that picture makes Boston look more like 3rd ave in Midtown (with shorter buildings) than any other place. The pic actually really reminds me of Park Ave looking South with the MetLife building in the distance.

[Ron Newman]

I think the complaint was just that the traffic lights uglify what would otherwise be a nice straight-shot view down the street. I suggested an easy way to remove these obstructions.

[jass]

They could always go with the brasilian style, in which one road usually has preference (theres no such thing as a 4 way stop sign there)

That is, an avenue like this one would have no lights. The side roads that feed into it are all one way, and have stop signs. People turning onto Boylston simply would turn when they had space, and cars turning into off could just do so.

People on Boylston could drive uninterupted, as there are no roads that cross completely. The only light would be by Copley Square where an other alpha street (dartmouth) crosses.

So youd have a light at Mass Ave, and a straight shot to Dartmouth. The only street that cross Boylston in its entirety is Exter, and that could easily be stopped (southbound exter cars would be forced to turn into boylston)

A single light could be added for pedestrains between the two other roads.

That would remove ALOT of lights, but its an untested concept in the US

[TC]

That may work if we only had to consider vehicular traffic, but it would become very difficult and dangerous to be a pedestrian trying to get across Boylston.

How do pedestrian manage in Brazil? Drivers down there must actually yield to pedestrians.

[bosdevelopment]

Yeah, also all the side streets that feed into Boylston street would back up unto Newbury becuase of all the pansy ass drivers that are too afraid to step on the gas during rush hour.

[Ron Newman]

the problem with that is that LOTS of pedestrians cross this street. You do not want to turn it into a 40mph one-way speedway.

[jass]

That may work if we only had to consider vehicular traffic, but it would become very difficult and dangerous to be a pedestrian trying to get across Boylston.

How do pedestrian manage in Brazil? Drivers down there must actually yield to pedestrians.

Either by crossing at the designated corner (Mass Ave) or walking when there are no cars.

And yeah, Ive done that in a 6 lane (single direction) road. Its like real life frogger!


Oh also, I want to make it clear that my example (of Brasil) isnt the case in all cities and all roads. Just more common than here.

[bbfen]

That may work if we only had to consider vehicular traffic, but it would become very difficult and dangerous to be a pedestrian trying to get across Boylston.

How do pedestrian manage in Brazil? Drivers down there must actually yield to pedestrians.

Either by crossing at the designated corner (Mass Ave) or walking when there are no cars.

And yeah, Ive done that in a 6 lane (single direction) road. Its like real life frogger!


Oh also, I want to make it clear that my example (of Brasil) isnt the case in all cities and all roads. Just more common than here.

It's an interesting concept, especially when you consider the amount of jaywalking that occurs anyway (and jaywalking is my weak spot ... I pretty much dare drivers to hit me!).

Mass Ave and Boylston is one of the few intersections where I wait for a pedestrian signal. I wouldn't want to bring the dreaded rumble strips or speed bumps to maintain safe speeds, but there are other ways of traffic calming (trees, bulbouts, etc.) to keep a steady, but safe flow of cars interacting with pedestrians.

Hrm.

I was actually talking with Marty Walz the other evening about keeping in mind pedestrian flow along the Boylston Street corridor (the conversation grew out of the recent Longwood/Fenway funds--some $55M--a piece of which is the eastern edge of Fenway at Mass Ave/Boylston). She's a huge proponent of pedestrian-friendly streets. In fact, I think I heard her say to someone else that she doesn't even own a car. Good on her.

Anyway, I'm loosing focus.

[jass]

That may work if we only had to consider vehicular traffic, but it would become very difficult and dangerous to be a pedestrian trying to get across Boylston.

How do pedestrian manage in Brazil? Drivers down there must actually yield to pedestrians.

Either by crossing at the designated corner (Mass Ave) or walking when there are no cars.

And yeah, Ive done that in a 6 lane (single direction) road. Its like real life frogger!


Oh also, I want to make it clear that my example (of Brasil) isnt the case in all cities and all roads. Just more common than here.

It's an interesting concept, especially when you consider the amount of jaywalking that occurs anyway (and jaywalking is my weak spot ... I pretty much dare drivers to hit me!).

Mass Ave and Boylston is one of the few intersections where I wait for a pedestrian signal. I wouldn't want to bring the dreaded rumble strips or speed bumps to maintain safe speeds, but there are other ways of traffic calming (trees, bulbouts, etc.) to keep a steady, but safe flow of cars interacting with pedestrians.

Hrm.

I was actually talking with Marty Walz the other evening about keeping in mind pedestrian flow along the Boylston Street corridor (the conversation grew out of the recent Longwood/Fenway funds--some $55M--a piece of which is the eastern edge of Fenway at Mass Ave/Boylston). She's a huge proponent of pedestrian-friendly streets. In fact, I think I heard her say to someone else that she doesn't even own a car. Good on her.

Anyway, I'm loosing focus.

Actually, thats another good point. Cars will only go at 40mph if they can (aka Storrow).

Add some calming features, and theyll go slow(er)

And Im like you when it comes to jay walking. My motto is that if they hit me, it's their hospital bill.

[IMAngry]

I was actually talking with Marty Walz the other evening ...

So, is she clueless or what? She has 100% opinions the opposite of me.

[bbfen]

I was actually talking with Marty Walz the other evening ...

So, is she an idiot or what? I really can't stand her. She has 100% opinions the opposite of me.

Am I being too harsh? (I'm being serious.)

Well, I think you should probably be the judge of how you act in relation to its harshness. Would you say that to her face (a good guideline I keep in mind when on the internet)?

I figure this: I helped elect her. It's my civic responsibility to make her aware of the issues important to me; then, she can do what she's supposed to do (advocate for her constituents, one of which is me).

For the record, I happen to agree with most of her views, if not always her tactics.

[DudeUrSistersHot]

women dont belong in politics

[singbat]

women dont belong in politics

children should be seen and not heard...

[goody]

:lol: owed, getting back on topic, I didn't really think that this project was going to change much on the street level but I was wrong, and its looking rather nice.

[IMAngry]

Thanks for the info on Marty Walz. Your suggestions about how to act on the Internet are probably right on, too.

[kz1000ps]

Just ignore him. He's obviously in desperate need of attention..

it's gotta be rough being a libertarian in such a communist state :oops:

[tmac9wr]

That may work if we only had to consider vehicular traffic, but it would become very difficult and dangerous to be a pedestrian trying to get across Boylston.

How do pedestrian manage in Brazil? Drivers down there must actually yield to pedestrians.

Either by crossing at the designated corner (Mass Ave) or walking when there are no cars.

And yeah, Ive done that in a 6 lane (single direction) road. Its like real life frogger!


Oh also, I want to make it clear that my example (of Brasil) isnt the case in all cities and all roads. Just more common than here.

It's an interesting concept, especially when you consider the amount of jaywalking that occurs anyway (and jaywalking is my weak spot ... I pretty much dare drivers to hit me!).

Mass Ave and Boylston is one of the few intersections where I wait for a pedestrian signal. I wouldn't want to bring the dreaded rumble strips or speed bumps to maintain safe speeds, but there are other ways of traffic calming (trees, bulbouts, etc.) to keep a steady, but safe flow of cars interacting with pedestrians.

Hrm.

I was actually talking with Marty Walz the other evening about keeping in mind pedestrian flow along the Boylston Street corridor (the conversation grew out of the recent Longwood/Fenway funds--some $55M--a piece of which is the eastern edge of Fenway at Mass Ave/Boylston). She's a huge proponent of pedestrian-friendly streets. In fact, I think I heard her say to someone else that she doesn't even own a car. Good on her.

Anyway, I'm loosing focus.

Actually, thats another good point. Cars will only go at 40mph if they can (aka Storrow).

Add some calming features, and theyll go slow(er)

And Im like you when it comes to jay walking. My motto is that if they hit me, it's their hospital bill.

It's either their hospital bill or they help pay for your funeral.

[Scott]

Just ignore him. He's obviously in desperate need of attention..

it's gotta be rough being a libertarian in such a communist state :oops:

Communist? I thought we were a bunch of Puritans? :wink:

Jaywalking is a way of life in this town. In my whole life I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for jaywalking in Boston.

[bosma]

If people didnt double park Boylston street would not need to be 3 lanes

[kz1000ps]

Does anybody know what this guy's story is? (the one with the makeshift shaker and microphone stand to the left)

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/1650/img1561xr8.jpg

[Ron Newman]

Presumably a busker, though it's quite cold to be singing outdoors.

[kz1000ps]

Noooo, he's homeless and I see him in my area about once a week, but never have I seen him beg for money, including when he's doing his "performance" like we see here. And even then, the stuff he's performing is pretty out there..

[kz1000ps]

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/4550/img1603je2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/7993/img1609md7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/1643/img1608en7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[awood91]

even if i had it, i wouldn't pay how ever many millions it takes to buy a condo here. who wants to have those absolutely awful, soviet-housing inspired apartment towers right behind their home?

[kz1000ps]

Minimum per square foot pricing is set at around $1600, so $2 million will get you 1250 s.f. on a lower floor with no view.

[jass]

Minimum per square foot pricing is set at around $1600, so $2 million will get you 1250 s.f. on a lower floor with no view.

Holy shit

[castevens]

I second the comment about the sanctified feces

[tmac9wr]

Wow, I didn't realize just how big this project was until that last picture...for some reason I thought it was a lot smaller, it's looking great though.

[jass]

From today, 21/2/07

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_6299.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_6300.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_6303.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y17/jamesinclair/IMG_6304.jpg

[kz1000ps]

These were taken within the past week or so

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/602/img1849me1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/9956/img1872qk7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8568/img1874pu6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/144/img1884tn5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And these are from today.. who is this bozo?

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2240/img1892gy1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

oh, someone from the Local 26 union.. no comment on their claims.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/4835/img1903uu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/329/img1902bp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[DudeUrSistersHot]

If unionists spent more time working and less time complaining maybe they would make more money (and, therefore wouldn't need to be in a union). Every time a business owner doesn't immediately succumb to union harassment they are subject to this treatment. I recall that they did this same nonsense at the Intercontinental, and they seem to be doing fine despite it.

[kmp1284]

They have an excellent rendering on their site that I had not yet seen. Even though it will never be seen from that angle, it's great to see a full frontage shot.

[tmac9wr]

I don't think I understand what these people are protesting....are they a construction workers union? Who else could be protesting this late in the game?

[bosdevelopment]

Why are they protesting? The website is circular.

[kmp1284]

I just fired off an email asking for some sort of explanation, will post response asap. BTW, I'm not sure but I suspect these people are the same ones who attempted to make a stink about the intercontinental last year.

[Waldorf]

I'm confused too. I went to their website "notafan.org" and could not find any explanation as to why they would picket and boycott the Mandarin. It says that the Hotel Workers Union is behind it. Seems a little strange.

[kz1000ps]

I just sent an email off myself. This whole thing is rather odd...

[singbat]

I just fired off an email asking for some sort of explanation, will post response asap. BTW, I'm not sure but I suspect these people are the same ones who attempted to make a stink about the intercontinental last year.


interesting site. first thing i think of is that guy who wants his money back... just a thought.

anyway, fwiw... the below from whois.

btw, thanks for the pictures!




Domain ID:D124987978-LROR
Domain Name:NOTAFAN.ORG
Created On:23-Jun-2006 21:26:03 UTC
Last Updated On:23-Aug-2006 03:47:37 UTC
Expiration Date:23-Jun-2007 21:26:03 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Tucows Inc. (R11-LROR)
Status:OK
Registrant ID:tuPwNeoRmsL6wmpD
Registrant Name:Henry Green
Registrant Organization:Henry Green
Registrant Street1:246 Gallivan Blvd.
Registrant City:Dorchester
Registrant State/Province:MA
Registrant Postal Code:02124
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.6178253076
Registrant Email:jeff@local26.org
Admin ID:tupiiF1p2UsZ2rKa
Admin Name:Customer of Lunarpages http://www.lunarpages.com
Admin Organization:Administrator Lunarpages
Admin Street1:Free Domain for Life!!!!
Admin Street2:100 E. La Habra Blvd.
Admin City:La Habra
Admin State/Province:CA
Admin Postal Code:90631
Admin Country:US
Admin Phone:+1.7145218150
Admin Email:hostmaster@lunarpages.com
Tech ID:tunOVOMdgkjSMZUs
Tech Name:System Administrator
Tech Organization:Lunarpages
Tech Street1:100 E. La Habra
Tech City:La Habra
Tech State/Province:California
Tech Postal Code:90631
Tech Country:US
Tech Phone:+1.7145218150
Tech Email:hostmaster@lunarpages.com
Name Server:NS4.LUNARPAGES.COM
Name Server:NS5.LUNARPAGES.COM



Underlying registry data for this record


IP Address: 209.200.229.181 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location: US(UNITED STATES)-CALIFORNIA-LA MIRADA
Record Type: Domain Name
Server Type: Apache
Web Site Status: Active
DMOZ no listings
Y! Directory: see listings
Secure: No
E-commerce: No
Traffic Ranking: Not available
Data as of: 14-Jun-2005

[DudeUrSistersHot]

It's simple. The hotel workers union wants to control the Mandarin's staff, and wants to come to an agreement to represent them before the hotel even opens. Same thing that happened with the Intercontinental.

[jass]

I assume these are the same people that kept trying to give me flyers at the Hyatt in Cambridge last year?

[kmp1284]

I just sent an email off myself. This whole thing is rather odd...

Did you hear back yet?

[kz1000ps]

Negative.

[kz1000ps]

Still no email. BTW this is from a couple days ago

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8545/img1954es1.jpg

[kz1000ps]

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9074/img2592mf9.jpg

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/6237/img2596in7.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/596/img2597wy1.jpg

[kz1000ps]

Some insight into what's up that union:

Union members vote to authorize strike at hotels

March 15, 2007

Union employees at four Boston hotels voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The vote by members of Unite Here Local 26 who work at the Boston Park Plaza, Sheraton Boston, Westin Copley Place, and Westin Waterfront was 1,013 to 27 . A citywide contract for the hotel workers union expired Nov. 30, and negotiations between the local and the hotels' owner, Starwood Corp., so far haven't resulted in a new contract, which would set the terms for several other hotel union locals in Boston. (Peter J. Howe)

? Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

[kz1000ps]

They're erecting another crane for the western section

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1741/img4250bt9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/2628/img4251cw6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3459/img4252xg0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And that P.F. Chang's

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/5162/img4282mw3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

..really? is this place that cheezy?
http://img458.imageshack.us/img458/6898/img4284nu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

and from a week ago

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/4479/img3087id2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[z-money]

^ I thought they were dismantling the crane from the west section of the Mandarin... There were a number of empty flat bed trucks lined up on Boylston Street yesterday morning. One other item of note, they have already started installing windows on the lower floors.

As for PF Chang... i saw those lovely concrete horses for the first time this morning... I'm looking forward to the first time they are vandalized (and hopefully removed)... Honestly, I'm surprised they were granted approvals for those hideous beasts.

[bowesst]

Similar horses have been out side of the current P.F. Chang's on Charles street for years.

[Patrick]

Walking along Newburry Street )sp?) on saturday, I noticed a large, thoguh not very tall structure being built a block away (Boylston street maybe?). Is that where the mandarin oriental is being buuilt? It was about a dozen stories tall, maybe a few more, and very wide. What a cool place to live. My weekend travels brought me in contact with several new england cities (Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, Burlington, Providence, and a few towns in CT otuside of and near Foxwoods. The only place I was truly impressed with was Boston. I parked the car at Boston commons, walked to the touristy stuff by gov't ctr, then took the train to copley something or other, then strolled arounf newbury street, and saw some very interestign people, including multiple luxury vehicles, one of which was a brigth yellow lambo. in short, it was a very interesting place to stroll around, and the weather was great. Driving east on I-90 at night had a fantastic view of the city lights and buildings. if I were wealthier, I know where I would live. The street life in Boston is incredible. Providence and CT on the other hand were armpits. Burlington, mass was also pretty nice, though very suburban despite all of the office parks. I have a few pictures I will post later, if anyone is interested.

Oh, yes, and the Boston public library is phenomenal. One of the coolest buildings I have ever been in.

[Bobby Digital]

Patrick, you officially post 3.55 times a day. thats insane. if new england built buildings like you post we'd be cooking with some serious gas.

[TheBostonian]

Walking along Newburry Street...

This reaction to the city is quite different from one I remember from you a while back. Also, I think Providence's street life occurs mostly, if not only, on a particular stretch of Thayer Street on the east side in the Brown University area away from downtown.

[Patrick]

Well, I am at work all day, in front of a computer, with some down time here and there...


also, to the bostonian: it was exactly a year ago I was in boston and became unimpressed with the place, but boy oh boy what a difference some nice weather can make!

[bowesst]

but boy oh boy what a difference some nice weather can make!

...or truly comprehending your surroundings.

[Ron Newman]

Also, I think Providence's street life occurs mostly, if not only, on a particular stretch of Thayer Street on the east side in the Brown University area away from downtown.

Also on Atwells Avenue in Federal Hill, and Wickendon (sp?) Street. And all over the river banks whenever Waterfire is occurring.

[TheBostonian]

anyway, no one ever answered my initial question...was that the mandarin I saw?

I think so.

[Patrick]

Thank you for answering my question, kz1000ps, what a cool place that would be to live. And I understand, Bowwest, I just feel like there isn't much more you can judge a city on with limited time at your disposal, and that's all I was trying to do--give a very quick impression. Clearly, as a resident, an interpretation of the city must rest on much deeper criteria. And if I were a resident, or lived closer to the city and visited much more frequently, I would agree with you. Unfortunately, it is hard to "take it all in" in an afternoon, and I was left to draw on very superficial characteristics, which apparently is at the root of everyone's sensitivity to my impressions with Boston.

Also, its not that I didn't notice the other city-features you listed--I did--there just wasn't enough time to appreciate them in full. architecture was phenomenal for the most part, the restaurants I saw were very nice, and the park (commons) was awesome, seeing as how it doubled as a parking garage. The train was pain in the butt, though...I preferred the tokens instead of the paper pass/slip, but I guess if you put a bunch of money on one, for a month or so, it would be more convenient in the end.

and Bobby, I agree with you wholeheartedly.

[Smuttynose]

The train was pain in the butt, though...I preferred the tokens instead of the paper pass/slip, but I guess if you put a bunch of money on one, for a month or so, it would be more convenient in the end.

You have to ask one of the T attendants for a CharlieCard (they're free). You don't have to worry about maneuvering it into the slot - it uses a touchpad system - and it's actually cheaper - $1.70 a ride compared to $2 for the tickets.

[Patrick]

good to know!

[PerfectHandle]

You have to ask one of the T attendants for a CharlieCard (they're free). You don't have to worry about maneuvering it into the slot - it uses a touchpad system - and it's actually cheaper - $1.70 a ride compared to $2 for the tickets.

Wouldn't it have been great if the T had made such a succinct explanation readily available at T fare machines? And, wouldn't it have been great if the T had installed a Charlie Card dispenser in each T fare machine?

[Bobby Digital]

i didnt even ask for a card when i first used it... some lady just walked up to me and gave me one and showed me how to use it... pretty helpful if u ask me. and this was at about 9pm.

[PerfectHandle]

i didnt even ask for a card when i first used it... some lady just walked up to me and gave me one and showed me how to use it... pretty helpful if u ask me. and this was at about 9pm.

That's pretty helpful, but I would argue that it's not a very good use of resources. I think for the first couple weeks (maybe that's when you got your card) it makes sense that the T would proactively and personally hand out the cards. But after that, why pay a full time staff person to hand them out when you could dispense them at the machines with a succinct printed explanation?

Also, to get my Charlie Card, I had to wait at Downtown Crossing while a T employee finished a 5 minute personal conversation on a T phone and then went to one booth to get keys to get into a storage bin that had about 10 Charlie Cards on top of a bunch of stuff. Whatever proactive hospitality system the T started the Charlie Card roll-out with had long since decayed, and I don't think any tourist or non-everyday T rider would have stuck it out that long to save $.30 on their rides.

Incidentally, this is a misplaced conversation. Maybe it should be split into the Transportation and Infrastructure forum.

[Bobby Digital]

yea ur right perfect, but i think the paper system is good for tourists/ people that dont ride hardly ever... they dont care about paying a little extra, hell make em pay extra. it saves the regular users money and essentially taxes people that dont frequent the T. it raises T revenues without flat out raising the price for everybody. good economic principals right there. good idea IMO. if you ride the T once every year, what do you care about paying an extra 30 cents?

[DudeUrSistersHot]

CharlieCards cost 22 cents each to produce. They make it marginally harder to get them to prevent people from using them as CharlieTickets (use and throw away), which infrequent T riders would most certainly do if they were readily available from machines.

Of course, it doesn't help their cause when their own employees give them out like candy. I had a T employee give me three when I got mine. I told the woman that I only needed one, as I would keep it in my wallet and had no need for the two others. She then told me that they were eventually going to start charging $5 a card and that I should keep them in case I lose one (would never happen because i keep it in my wallet, and i keep extremely good track of my wallet) or give them to people I know.

The solution? Dispense them from the machines, but charge $5 for them.

[Ron Newman]

I've found at least 15 discarded CharlieCards since the beginning of this year. Most of them had no value, but a few had as much as $1.60 left on them.

(That's leaving aside the 100 CharlieTickets I've found this year, with a total value around $119. About time to make another donation, I think.)

[bosdevelopment]

The better solution is return to a token system.

Put money in machine- Get tokens.

[kz1000ps]

hay u guyz, chek it owt: bEIge PrEcaSt OMG!!!!!!!!!

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3689/img4864lg6.jpg

[awood91]

obviously this is the way of the future

[chumbolly]

Are you sure that's not limestone? Odds are it's precast, but limestone looks very similar.

[kz1000ps]

That's a good question. Here's the image at twice the size..

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5448/img4864et1.th.jpg (http://img405.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img4864et1.jpg)

[Waldorf]

According to the Mandarin website it is limestone and brick...

http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/559000001.asp

[chumbolly]

Which begs the question -- why build with limestone if it looks like concrete? That, and it tends to dissolve in urban environments.
I went to Tufts, and I always thought the library there (before its remodel) was an ugly-ass pre-cast concrete bunker--until I noticed tiny fossils in the stone cladding.

[chumbolly]

I just read that page on the Mandarin site. I hope their builder is a whole lot better than their copy editor. The blurb about the hotel seems like it was written by a drunk person.

[Waldorf]

Yeah, it's a pretty bad write up.

[bbfen]

I just read that page on the Mandarin site. I hope their builder is a whole lot better than their copy editor. The blurb about the hotel seems like it was written by a drunk person.

The whole site is like that. I e-mailed to see what I'll get back.

I wonder if it's a translation from Mandarin from the original Chinese website into English by a non-native English speaker.

If I could read Mandarin, I'd check it out ... but, no such luck.

[kz1000ps]

Still up for debate, here's another close up of the section-in-question

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/9153/img5199lg5.jpg

Meanwhile..

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/5633/img5188sf9.jpg

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4397/img5189rw8.jpg

[Giorgio]

Its tough to say whether that's limestone or concrete.. However, as that looks to be the back of the building, if that is indeed concrete, I would be fairly confident it is only because its the back and the front and sides will be natural cut stone. It has always been the rule rather than exception, that the back, non-street facing side of buildings clad in natural stone, that the back was always finished in a much plainer, austere finish, typically plain brick. This was the case for even the most high end buildings back in the day when stone was the norm. I'm sure that is the worst case scenario here as well

[briv]

I would say that is without a doubt concrete.

[LeTaureau]

I think that it is concrete too. If you look at the sides of the panel, you can almost see tiny air bubbles that were trapped when the concrete was set. Unless those are tiny fossils, though I doubt it...

[ablarc]

Are you sure that's not limestone? Odds are it's precast, but limestone looks very similar.
When the sun shines on limestone, it glows. Concrete doesn't do that. Has anyone seen this in the sun?

[kz1000ps]

As seen in yesterday's sun. It was sparkling, but not really glowing

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9600/img5984jt5.jpg

[TC]

I'm going to give my two cents ....

1) If this were limestone I think the joints would be real. 2) Such a thin and long header would require a lintel for structural support. 3) Natural stone in such large pieces would be expensive and I don't think they would spend the money on the back face of the building.

[tocoto]

Some of these pieces are definitely concrete. Maybe other parts of the building will be limestone, and almost certainly some will be brick.

Maybe they mean there will be some lime in the concrete and just call it limestone for lack of a better term?

[TC]

Maybe they mean there will be some lime in the concrete and just call it limestone for lack of a better term?


Now that is some marketing. :wink:

[kz1000ps]

Work is starting up on Sak's (not Filene's..)

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/4823/img5772ol9.jpg

[kennedy]

How did we get from limestone vs. concrete to Filene's? I'd say it's concrete.

[awood91]

^its a sacks, not a filenes

[xec]

From the North Point thread:

The facade is going up on ArchstoneSmith. I wonder if the bricks will be the same color all the way up. It looks a little bland so far.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/1588/facade1gt1.jpg


The facade is also going up on the Mandarin Oriental. It's still under wraps but from what I can make out it looks almost identical to this. Unbelievable that a luxury hotel and multimillion dollar condo building in the Back Bay would use the same bland crap as rental apartments out in no-man's land, but it sure looks that way. Mandarin could be a major disappointment. A well-designed building wrecked by cheap finishings.

[briv]

Hotel Commonwealth: Part 2.

[bosman]

For some reason, I have always had a bad feeling in the back of my mind about this project. In the renderings, the building actually looked really nice. However, based on some past projects and some pics of other Mandarin Oriental buildings, I have gotten the sense that they tend to cut corners when it comes to the details. While it isn't done yet, and I am still hoping that it will look better than I think it will, don't be surprised if we are all incredibly disappointed.

[kz1000ps]

Before we all go flying off the handle, I'll just say that the brick they used looks good. It's disappointing that so little of the facade will use limestone, but oh well.. let's not write this one off completely just yet.

Taken 5/7

http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5150/img8953bo7.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2238/img8955kr6.jpg

[ablarc]

I'd say it's concrete.
Definitely.

[TheBostonBoy]

Ya it definitely is concrete, but i still think they will use some limestone too

[Mike]

L'Espalier set for entree on Boylston
By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | May 17, 2007


L'Espalier, the epitome of formal fine dining in Boston, will move out of its cramped Back Bay brownstone in summer 2008 and into the new Mandarin Oriental complex, doubling in size and taking aim at becoming one of the country's contemporary culinary destinations.

While L'Espalier chef and owner Frank McClelland is relocating his signature restaurant only around the corner to Boylston Street, the move reflects the changing landscape for Boston restaurateurs. McClelland follows in the footsteps of celebrity chef Todd English, No. 9 Park owner Barbara Lynch, and others who are taking advantage of new real estate opportunities and their popularity to create high-profile tributes to cuisine.

L'Espalier -- the site of many a marriage proposal and celebrity sighting -- will have 5,500 square feet in its new space, which features a private glass elevator, modern lounge with butler service, and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the dining rooms on the second floor.

"We want to take L'Espalier to another dimension, to give it more of a world stage and a world-class facility," said McClelland, who earlier this month won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef Northeast," the Oscars of fine dining. "The city of Boston has become much more international and much more of a destination for restaurants. The public is looking for it."

The new digs, set to open next summer as part of the $300 million-plus Mandarin Oriental hotel project, will be a far cry from the historic Back Bay townhouse L'Espalier currently occupies, where diners must walk up a flight of stairs, sometimes two, to get to small dining rooms with intricate molding, taupe chairs, and white tablecloths. But the new quarters will pay homage to the traditions of its current 30 Gloucester St. location, including a replica of L'Espalier's signature wrought-iron gate.

Built in 1880, the brick townhouse on Gloucester was a private home through the mid 1900s, and briefly an apartment building in the 1960s, notorious for wild and extravagant parties, before becoming a restaurant space. L'Espalier was opened by chef Moncef Meddeb in 1978 on Boylston Street between Arlington and Berkeley. The restaurant, which moved into the townhouse in 1982, is often cited as the first independently owned restaurant to bring haute cuisine to Boston. McClelland purchased the restaurant in 1988.

Over the years, L'Espalier has racked up repeated culinary awards for its New England-French cuisine, offering dishes like butter-poached lobster, seared Hudson Valley foie gras, and a renowned cheese course. L'Espalier has become a favorite among A-listers, from Mick Jagger to Patriots superstar Tom Brady and ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. And when former Boston University president John Silber was running for governor, he hosted strategic planning meetings at Table 20.

For everyone else, the restaurant is about special occasions. There are more than 1,000 birthdays and anniversaries celebrated at the 65-seat restaurant a month -- and usually at least one marriage proposal a month, according to Louis Risoli , L'Espalier's maitre d' for the past 25 years. (The restaurant's name comes from the French word, espalier, which refers to a way of pruning trees to grow on a trellis.)

At the Mandarin complex, which will include a five-star hotel, high-end retail shops, and luxury condominiums, L'Espalier expects to attract a broader crowd of tourists and business travelers, said Robin Brown , one of the developers of the Mandarin.

"This is a bull's-eye location -- the center of the universe in Boston," Brown said. "We trust Frank and believe in what he does and what he's capable of doing here."

McClelland's other restaurant, Sel de la Terre , will open its second Boston location next to L'Espalier in the Mandarin complex. Both are leasing spaces there. McClelland operates Sel de la Terre, which serves rustic French cuisine, with partner Geoff Gardner, and a third location is planned for Natick.

The new L'Espalier will have about 85 to 90 seats, and enough room for a dedicated pastry department with a chocolate room in the spacious kitchen that can be viewed by passersby on the street.

John Bogle , owner of Bogle Investment Management in Newton, who dines at L'Espalier with his wife about four times a year and hosts his company holiday party there, says the most striking part of the current restaurant is its warm and romantic setting.

"It's an ambience you just can't find anywhere in Boston," Bogle said. "If you were to take that same experience and put it into any other building, it's going to be different but that does not necessarily mean not as good.

"I just hope," he added, "it won't be harder for me to get a table if they get more business."


Link (http://www.boston.com/ae/food/restaurants/articles/2007/05/17/lespalier_set_for_entree_on_boylston/)

[JaysonL]

I took a peak at the brick behind the covering and agree that it looks very similar to that of North Point.

I wonder why the Mandarin renderings on their website haven't been updated to show the brick? And to think we were so very close to getting an elegant piece of architecture added to our city.

http://www.mandarinresidences.com/images/renderings/large/03.jpg

[Bobby Digital]

at what point do we just say 'welcome to the 21st century'. its the era of precast/ prefab buildings. its just cheaper that way. construction costs are so high nowadays.... from what i hear... that i think you gotta expect this most of the time....

curiosity makes me wonder why construction costs are so high these days.... Obviously Katrina is still having an effect, gas prices are too.... but more damand from other markets.... India and Asia come to mind i think as reasons why we will continue to see crap precast materials. more demand.

I wonder when the day is coming when Asia pulls its money out of US markets... what's gonna happen to us then....its all good as long as we have a good return and we keep buying chinese, korean and vietnamese products, but sooner or later they're gonna pull their money out. Where we gonna borrow from after that? Then we won't be building shit.

[ledjes]

To dispel a misconception here - except for the precast concrete panels at the retail arcade at the back of the Mandarin, all of the masonry on the project that looks like limestone truly is bonafide quarried limestone, including window sills and headers. You will begin to see significantly more of it once the ground floor and top floors are clad.

The reason for the precast at the arcade: Prudential Center design standards.

[statler]

The reason for the precast at the arcade: Prudential Center design standards.

Welcome ledjes!

Could you expound on the 'design standards' for us? I'm curious how such standards would dictate using a lesser material. It seems counter-intuitive.

[Bobby Digital]

if there could be something said for uniformity...

but im having trouble seeing how this matches the pru or the hotel next to it ( cant remember its name... Marriott?) maybe it matches the outside of the pru mall/arcade whatever u call it.

[Ron Newman]

the hotel next to the Pru is the Sheraton-Boston.

[ledjes]

Could you expound on the 'design standards' for us?

The arcade, which is essentially tacked onto the back of the Mandarin, will become an extension of the current retail mall, connecting the existing mall with new retail within the Mandarin (L'espalier being the first tenant to come out) and ultimately leading to Lord and Taylor. Because the arcade is technically an "addition" to the existing retail mall, the materials and detailing are required to match the existing mall construction...hence the precast exterior.

[statler]

^^ That makes sense.

Thanks.

[kz1000ps]

I go by the site almost every day, so you can be sure that I'll take a picture of anything worth showing. Problem is, there's that black netting up that makes it hard to detect any visible progress.

So in other words, it essentially looks the same as it did in the photos I posted a week ago.

[TheBostonBoy]

Oh ok thanks!
kz you still haven't told anyone your job :shock:
Tell me...I was in the thread for all your pictures (you get the best!)

[vanshnookenraggen]

Ok I took out that great conversation and moved it to its own thread here (http://architecturalboston.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=765).

[kz1000ps]

kz you still haven't told anyone your job

I haven't needed to -- it was correctly guessed on the first page of my "various skyscrapers" thread.

[kz1000ps]

These are just for you, Boston Boy..

taken 5/19

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6098/img0669kp2.jpg

click for 1600 x 1200 resolution
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1907/img0670wy5.jpg

[ablarc]

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6098/img0669kp2.jpg
This is my candidate for Boston's most changed stretch of streetscape in recent years.

Boylston Boulevard is finally arriving. Too bad the new Apple store won't make much of a contribution to it.

Could Boston's cabs all be white as New York's are yellow?

[kz1000ps]

This is my candidate for Boston's most changed stretch of streetscape in recent years.

..Let another five years pass and "upper" Boylston will probably be the next leading candidate for this nod. After that, I can only image that my block of Boylston (in between Hynes and the Fens) will be the next to see major investment, be it from Berklee and/or private investors.

[bbfen]

In 16 pages somewhere are a few hilarious comments about the Mandarin's unique writing style. I wrote to them about it a while back, and forgot to post the response:

Dear XXX XXXXXX
thank you for your feedback about the Mandarin Oriental, Boston copy, we will have our copy writer to have a look at the text again and correct if appropriate.

Again, many thanks for your opinion, we value this very much.
We look forward to welcoming you soon to the warmth of Mandarin Oriental.
Best regards
Chris

This subtopic has been surprising/funny to me. When I visited Hong Kong, I found the natives to speak better English than I did (they're still taught Queen's English, I believe).

The website has been updated though, by a professional group. Interesting that the cultural gulf still remains to a degree; the website brags about the, "ability to accommodate different types of heating and cooling preferences."

That crazy invention, the thermostat. Amazing!

In addition, the site states

Note: The photographs reproduced in this marketing material illustrate current representative views from The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, and are not necessarily the views that will be available from any particular Unit.

[kz1000ps]

This was taken from the 4th floor of the newish building with Fidelity on the ground floor on Tuesday the 5th

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3709/img3428fz7.jpg

Wednesday the 6th

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4166/img3514xh4.jpg

And from yesterday - I got to go to CBT's site offices, located in the old Star Market's space

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9210/img3851mg2.jpg

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7391/img3853jo5.jpg

[kennedy]

i like very much. i look forward to staying here sometime. it seems like a four seasons, but much nicer looking.

[czsz]

Could Boston's cabs all be white as New York's are yellow?

Actually I've always thought it would be nice to have Crown Vics in uniform black- a sort of compromise between London and New York, of which Boston sometimes seems a petit blend.

With many American cities moving to hybrid cabs (is Boston doing this?) there also seems a movement to replace sedans with minivans, SUVs, and genuine London cabs. The opportunity is ripe.

[nico]

^I've seen some enviro-friendly cabs around...not many though. Boston Cab Inc. has some denoted by a green stripe up and over the rear quarter panel.

[kz1000ps]

Not many, but they're growing in numbers. And they're easy to tell apart from the crowd because they're all Toyota Camrys, which are noticeably smaller and somewhat more stylish than the venerable Crown Vic/Grand Marquis fleets.

[Meadowhawk]

I just walked by the Mandarin Oriental site this afternoon on my way back from Fenway Park. As I got up close and personal to this structure it was hard for me to imagine a decent sized sidewalk in front of this building. I imagined a tight squeeze of pedestrian traffic. The rendering also shows the planting of trees in front of it and this will take up more sidewalk space. I know it's early yet, but I sure hope the sidewalk is adequate when completed.

[castevens]

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/castevens12/DSC_3613.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/castevens12/DSC_3612.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i52/castevens12/DSC_3611.jpg

[castevens]

That last picture is only because there is some level of facade on that part of the structure, but I doubt that'll be used extensively besides on the edges of, say, the pedestrian walkway.

[justin]

Mmm, grey precast -- how bold!

justin

[statler]

^^^
To dispel a misconception here - except for the precast concrete panels at the retail arcade at the back of the Mandarin, all of the masonry on the project that looks like limestone truly is bonafide quarried limestone, including window sills and headers. You will begin to see significantly more of it once the ground floor and top floors are clad.

The reason for the precast at the arcade: Prudential Center design standards.

[kz1000ps]

Unfortunately the black netting obscures what progress we can see, but here's how things were as of Thursday the 19th

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7321/img7595ab9.jpg