Old Boston Edison Plant | Summer St | South Boston

[FK4]

Originally Posted by Equilibria

By the time you've done all of that, it's lost whatever historic character it had. Honestly, this is a pretty forgettable building unless you have a sentimental attachment to it.

It's not the most elegant power plant — but that doesn't mean it couldn't be repurposed into something grand and groundbreaking — and interesting.

The fact that it appears the plans consist of typical mediocre crap when this is one site screaming for something audacious is depressing.

[stellarfun]

Originally Posted by fattony

What do you propose as a use for a building with one big window and whole lot of brick? It certainly won't be homes. Or offices. Or retail. Seriously, what would you propose?

............

Sure, the Tate Modern works fine as a museum. It is one of the few uses that works well with limited fenestration. You propose a museum for this site and you'll get laughed out of the room. Theater maybe? Still a stretch and far, far from the highest and best use of this land.

Herzog's back of the Tate Modern including the new 'Switch House' mini-tower is glass fronted by a brick lattice.



The Boston Edison building was built in the 1890s, the Tate Modern's home was built in the 1950s, after the original was demolished.

[Equilibria]

Originally Posted by FK4

It's not the most elegant power plant — but that doesn't mean it couldn't be repurposed into something grand and groundbreaking — and interesting.

The fact that it appears the plans consist of typical mediocre crap when this is one site screaming for something audacious is depressing.

Yes, but what? What's the grand and groundbreaking thing you think this could be? If you remove enough of the facade to include a lattice or windows, you might as well tear it down and start over. This is meant to fit in with the neighborhood, so they aren't going to build a modern masterpiece here. It's a mixed-use development, and it will look like one.

[Jouhou]

Originally Posted by FK4

It's not the most elegant power plant — but that doesn't mean it couldn't be repurposed into something grand and groundbreaking — and interesting.

The fact that it appears the plans consist of typical mediocre crap when this is one site screaming for something audacious is depressing.

I find the mediocrity better than something outright awful, and I think it's safe to assume their plans will evolve throughout their build out.

And I don't think new england has any old power plants to repurpose that are on par with the old peco plants designed by this guy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Windrim

If there are, pics please.

[stellarfun]

On that part of the plant to be demolished, how many wythes thick is the brick? Is it the original brick of 125 years ago? What is the condition of the brick and mortar? Plants housing boilers tend to stress brick because of the temperature extremes that can occur..

[Beton Brut]

It's a shame GE didn't look at this collection of buildings for their headquarters. I'd prefer that to Gensler's flip-top boombox.

[Merrimac]

The turbine rooms they plan on saving have only north and south walls with any architectural features as the long sides were butted up against other structures. What I am interested in saving are two partial walls of the boiler rooms and the original Boston Electric Light Plant.

The Boston Electric Light Plant consists of a relatively small dark red brick structure on the east side of the building cluster. Internally it is two large voids about three stories tall lined with white enameled bricks the east section was the engine room and the west side was the boiler room. Either one of them could function quite well as a summer market, beer hall, performance space. A steel frame of floors set away from the exterior walls with a center atrium and sky light would make a unique office space.

On the west side of the site are the boiler rooms. (in spite of the image I posted, there's more than one window. I would save that wall and build a copy of it with similar but closer spaced windows along E 1st St. I would mimic the smaller windows that flank the larger windows on Summer St. for more fenestration. I would also save at least part of C 12, that large chimney, maybe put an observatory on top of it. You could then build just about anything behind those two walls. I was thinking you could set back the floors from the Summer St. facade creating balconied halls inside with living/working space behind that.

On the north side the remains of the original boiler room has four tall segmental arch windows close together, again anything could be put behind those windows.

Not being an architect, I'm not quite sure of the architectural style of the Summer St Generating plant, I think it's Beaux-Arts? I find something classic eminently preferable to bland grey boxes. That look like dozens of other developments that have gone up all over the city. There is nothing original or distinctive about it, it could be anywhere (and it is). There's a lot of history on that site and it'd be a shame to sweep it all away.

[Jouhou]

I just looked at close-up and interior pics of this. I take it back, this is as lovely as phillys old power stations. And at 1898 it predates them too.

My attempt at describing the architectural style: I think it's art nouveau, executed in a very boston way. It's hard for me to pinpoint that sense it gives me, it's got a certain flair to it- look at pics of the interior.

[itchy]

@ Merrimac - can you post pictures of the buildings you mention as worthy of preservation but slated to be razed under this proposal? thx

[Merrimac]

Originally Posted by itchy

@ Merrimac - can you post pictures of the buildings you mention as worthy of preservation but slated to be razed under this proposal? thx

My photo editing software has expired so right now all I have are large raw images. I'll see if I can get a friend to reduce their size tonight or tomorrow.

The interior images that the BPDA and Redgate have posted are only of the 1903 turbine room No. 1. I don't think there are any images online of the interior of the original 1898 BELCo. plant.

[Merrimac]

I found this on Flickr:
[IMG]Image from page 955 of "Electrical world" (1883) by Internet Archive Book Images, on Flickr[/IMG]

This view is from the north shortly after the first section of Station No. 4was completed.

One the left is the Boston Electric Light Co. plant of 1897. On the right is Boiler Room number 1 and in the center is the first Turbine Room which Redgate plans on saving. The left four windows of the boiler house are still standing. I'd like to see that wall saved with it's cornice restored. (I assume precast stone would be a inexpensive replacement of the terracotta that was removed.)

How does one upload an image from a computer? Is it allowed on this forum? I have some other images. I've downloaded.

[Beton Brut]

Originally Posted by Merrimac

How does one upload an image from a computer? Is it allowed on this forum? I have some other images. I've downloaded.

You'd need to upload them to a photo-sharing site like Flickr or PhotoBucket.

[Merrimac]

Originally Posted by Beton Brut

You'd need to upload them to a photo-sharing site like Flickr or PhotoBucket.

Thanks, I suspected that..

[stellarfun]

That photo is cropped.

In the uncropped version, the coal yard is on the left, and a bridge/causeway is on the right.

The view is looking across the Reserve Channel, and what one sees is the west facade.

[SouthEnder88]

Looks like a few new shots from inside:

https://www.bisnow.com/boston/news/m...74099?rt=41023

[Merrimac]

Here are some shots of the pieces of the station I think should be saved:

The west wall of the No. 2 & No. 3 Boiler Rooms:
Edison-BoilerRm3-01-dig by JFB119, on Flickr
The cornice could be restored with precast stone.
The partial north wall of Boiler Room No. 1:
[IMG]Edison-BoilerRm1-03-dig by JFB119, on Flickr[/IMG]
The cornice could be restored with precast stone.
The Boston Electric Light Company Powerhouse:
[IMG]Edison-BELCo-02-dig by JFB119, on Flickr[/IMG]
This building has two larges voids lined with white enameled bricks, nearly anything could be done with these spaces.

[JumboBuc]

Turns out that there's a deed restriction here that prohibits housing from ever being built on this site. The previous owner agreed to it with Massport (who are afraid that residents will complain about the abutting truck route) in 2014. The current owners bought the property the next year and are now in talks with Massport to lift the restriction.

Either way, new occupants will have to put up with the truck traffic.

There are also state regulations requiring port-related uses on this site.

[Globe]

[BostonDrew]

What is the frequency of trucks they are expecting to be moving up and down the new haul road. If it's restricted to just truck traffic to the port, then I would imagine it would be intermittent.

[BeeLine]

Originally Posted by BostonDrew

What is the frequency of trucks they are expecting to be moving up and down the new haul road. If it's restricted to just truck traffic to the port, then I would imagine it would be intermittent.

During the work week it can be very heavy, two to three trucks per minute. Less traffic on the weekends. I imagine the rate would also depend on the number and size of container ships in port.

[Merrimac]

There are hundreds of trucks a day as BeeLine says. Also Redgate keeps dangling the idea of a water taxi serving the development. I doubt very much the Coast Guard will approve commercial boat traffic under the Butler truck corridor bridge.

The housing restriction wasn't mentioned before yesterday's Globe article. The only restriction mentioned was a small area adjacent to Summer St. that was still contaminated as well as an area on Massport land which is to be capped.