Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Walk 5- Quincy Market to Charlestown Navy yard


From City Hall's steps looking towards Faneuil Hall, one has a view of different type of architecture of the city. From 1740 to 1806, the Faneuil Hall has been under different renovation and became part of one the most historic place of Boston.



Standing in the middle of the South Market and the North Market, one experiences a sequence of public stages: The walking path in the middle is interpreted as the most public space, then the little outdoors spaces of the stores around create a semi-public space and the stores- closed rooms but open to the public- created the least public place of all three.




A contrasting experience is created there in the middle of the massive building. At the lower part of a building at the seemingly intersection of two busy built zones, a work of intersecting arches creates a little open space as the air way of the area.




The Paul Revere Park- one of the most frequented visited park in Boston- offers the same diagrammatic experience in two different ways: standing in the middle of the park, one can see the green space followed by the built environment on both sides, also looking forward, the green space space is also followed by a built environment created by the buildings in the background.

Walk 4-Government Center/Big Dig


When one just comes out of Park Street T Station, right accross Tremont Street and Beacon Street, a slope road define the area bounded by the park in the middle of the city and the massive buildings.


On Tremont Street, lies the oldest cemetery of Boston guarded by a fence and three side walls-from the buildings around it-. The open space in the middle creates the cemetery as an open room.



Looking from the Government Center Building, a big curvy building seems to be defining the space bounded by Cambridge, Court and Congress. The other buildings in the background add to the aspect of this area being mostly a built environment.



At the corner of Pearl street and Post Office street rise a park,as the green environment, in the middle of a very busy surrounding. The park creates a relaxing spot, as an outdoor living room,, among all the office buildings around it.



View of the park from the other side. The built environment seems to be growing out the green space in front of it, creating a diagrammatic difference between the two aspects of the city.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Walk 3- The Back Bay Fens


A view of the Commonwealth park showing how the green space integrates the city and sometimes creates a type of hierarchy and attraction in some areas.



Bridge by H.H Richardson.  The bridge creates a very quiet place in the middle of fast lane streets. It also adds to the beauty and the privacy of the residential aera next to it.

Detail of the ramp of H.H.Richardson's bridge. It represents a beautiful stonework. The careful organization of the blocks can be well-appreciated.


Two four-columns piles create a gate entrance for a park as a delimitation of the built environment and the green space.



Walk 2- Commonwealth Ave. and Copley Square

A view of the park in the middle of Commonwealth Avenue showing the green space in the middle of the built environment around it. The presence of sculptures in the alley way emphasize the longitudinal dimension on the park by creating different focal points.



A typical corner around the Commonwealth area showing different level of privacy.  The street-most public- is separated from the house by a fence.  The fence in itself creates a less public space with a garden. Finally, the house-which is the most private- is stepped back after the street and the garden.



Two different constructions create a sort of gate at the corner of Newbury Street and Boylston Street. An old church and a massive building express the two different types of architecture that the area is experiencing. It creates variety and allows the people walking by to experience the history of the area a bit more.


The Trinity Church rises up in the middle of a park and two very busy streets. It creates a strong balance right in front of the Boston Public Library of Copley across the street.


Walk 1- Beacon Hill Flat and the Esplanade

Walk 1 was an experience through Beacon Hill Flat and the Esplanade 
where the entire area gave us a very expressive idea of public and private, 
as some streets in Beacon Hill are more private than others and the Esplanade 
is a combination of both public and private.



Standing across Beacon St., looking towards Charles St., one can perceive Charles St. as an axis between the existing part and the built part that was constructed

 later on.  Earlier in time, Charles St. was an axis between the existing part of Beacon Hill and the Charles River.










Louisburg Square is noted for the green space in the middle of it. It’s a garden bounded by a fence not allowing people to get in. Through the void created by the trees, one can still see the cobbling brick houses behind the garden.


The green of the garden becomes part of the built environment around it with the plants growing on the houses.  Also, the balconies is very elegant as they follow the shape of the houses.


On the way to David Murgar Way, the old train line and the big glass construction next to it show the urban development of the area.


Pond leading pedestrians around the David Murgar Way to the Esplanade.


Very detailed facade on Brimmer street.