FACE-LIFT—Major projects in the works include (clockwise from above) the new Institute of Contemporary Art, the new master site plan for the Museum of Fine Arts and expanded seating above Fenway Park’s Green Monster. |
Boston has long been considered a city bound to its rich traditions and history. Yet the Hub has continued to re-invent itself over the years. In the 19th century, in order to expand from the small peninsula on which it was situated, the city began a series of massive landfill projects that enlarged its waterfront neighborhoods and transformed the Back Bay from a muddy marshland into the brownstone-laden, tree-lined neighborhood that now stands. Today, the city is being dramatically altered once again by the mammoth Big Dig highway/tunnel construction project, which is moving the elevated downtown expressway underground creating 27 acres of public ‘green’ space.
In the wake of the massive
changes spawned by the Big Dig, the New Face of Boston has begun
to emerge in the bricks and mortar landmarks that make up our
city. From plans for the public parks that will replace the
elevated highway to the stunning design for a new Institute of
Contemporary Art on the waterfront to the resurrection of the
former Opera House on Washington Street—each of these ambitious
projects are helping to change the face of our city. Although we
may never again brazenly suggest that we’re “the Hub of the
Universe” (as Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote), Boston is poised
for the future with a renewed sense of the spirit that helped the
city make history in the first place.
The Big Dig
After more than a decade of construction, the end is finally in
sight for the $14.6 billion Big Dig. Widely recognized as one of
the largest, most complex and technologically challenging
construction projects in American history, the Big Dig is helping
to bring one of America’s oldest cities into the 21st century.
Replacing the elevated Southeast Expressway with a brand new
underground highway, the project will ease traffic congestion on
a roadway that carries three times as many cars than it was built
to sustain. The Mass Turnpike Extension to Logan Airport debuted
in January to great fanfare. The gleaming Leonard P. Zakim Bunker
Hill Bridge (already a Boston landmark) was finished last spring
and is scheduled to open to traffic sometime this month (along
with I-93’s southbound lanes). By early 2005, the entire project
should be complete. Here’s hoping disgruntled Boston drivers can
hold on a few more years.
The Rose Kennedy Greenway
Besides easing traffic congestion in our notoriously cramped
city, one of the most important benefits of the Big Dig is the 27
acres of civic “green” space that will be created in the downtown
corridor when the old highway is torn down. Divided into 23
parcels, the new “Rose Kennedy Greenway” will re-connect downtown
to the waterfront and the North End and make for a more beautiful
and accessible city. Proposals for the new public spaces include
parks, ponds, plazas, performance spaces, outdoor skating rinks,
art and cultural amenities, some small-scale buildings and a
four-acre “Garden Under Glass” to be built by the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society.
A New Institute of Contemporary Art
When the new Institute of Contemporary Art is finally built on
the South Boston waterfront, it will become the first major art
museum erected in the city in more than 100 years. Moreover, the
city is hoping that the museum (along with the new convention
center) will spark more development in the emerging district.
Created by the cutting-edge architecture firm Diller + Scofidio,
the visionary glass-walled design is highlighted by a dramatic
top floor that is cantilevered out over the Harborwalk below.
Establishing a permanent collection—something the ICA has never
had space for—in the new four-story building is also part of the
museum’s goals. The exhibit Building a Vision: Diller + Scofidio
in Boston at the ICA’s current facility in the Back Bay details
the development of the project, from beginning concepts to final
design. Refer to listing, page 40.
Museum of Fine Arts Expansion
One of the largest art museums in the world, Boston’s Museum of
Fine Arts is fast outgrowing the space it has to store its
world-renowned collections. So when the venerable institution
unveiled its master site plan one year ago, observers marveled at
how the museum and internationally renowned architect Sir Norman
Foster sought to expand and enhance the 93-year old building
while respecting its history. “It was important to rediscover its
roots, so we looked back to [Guy] Lowell’s original plan,” said
Foster. The design re-instates the strong central axis at the
heart of the museum and enhances it with a signature element—a
striking,
glass-encased “jewel box” that will enclose the museum’s two
outdoor courtyards and eventually run the entire length of the
building. The first phase of the project—building a new
three-story East Wing with new galleries for the museum’s
contemporary art and Art of the Americas collections—should
commence next year. Visitors can view models and visuals of the
architectural design concepts inside the museum’s West Wing
entrance.
Fenway Park
Expansions/Renovations
It’s perhaps the city’s most hallowed ground. No, it’s not
the Freedom Trail or the State House, but the home of Boston’s
beloved baseball team, the Red Sox. Opened in 1912, Fenway Park
is the oldest and smallest ballpark in the major leagues. In
order to keep pace with free-spending rivals like the New York
Yankees, new owners John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino
were eager to seek out additional revenue streams while retaining
Fenway’s storied charm. That meant premium seats installed along
the left and right field foul lines and at other spots in the
park. This year, there will be a new fan concourse on Yawkey Way
and (gasp!) seats atop the venerable Green Monster. The owners
are also researching expansion of the ballpark in its current
footprint rather than erecting a new stadium. Now if they can
just bring a World Series title back to Yawkey Way, the
long-suffering fans might forgive those steep ticket prices.
Opera House Redevelopment
Boston’s vibrant Theatre District will be expanding to a
long-neglected stretch of Washington Street when the
long-dormant, 74-year old Opera House re-lights its faded marquee
(in the summer of 2004) after a dramatic $31 million restoration
to the once-grand performance palace. The project’s developer,
Clear Channel Entertainment, believes the 2,700-seat Beaux
Arts-style venue will be “the crown jewel” of the dozens of
theatres it operates across the country. With a greatly expanded
stagehouse, Clear Channel plans to book the theatre for long runs
of Broadway blockbusters like Hairspray and The Lion King. First
designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb and modeled after the
Paris Opera House, the theatre opened in 1928 as a memorial to
vaudeville impresario B.F. Keith. Preservationists are hoping the
restoration will also provide momentum for the proposed
renovation of two other, long-shuttered theatres on the same
block, the Paramount and the Modern.
New Boston Convention Center
When it’s completed in the summer of 2004 (just in time to
host the annual MacWorld expo), the new Boston Convention and
Exhibition Center will enable the state to lure some of the
country’s largest conventions to our fair burg. Boston has been
unable to compete with other cities because the smaller Hynes
Convention Center in the Back Bay cannot accommodate the largest
and most lucrative gatherings, which bring in millions of dollars
to the local economy. Designed by world-renowned architect Rafael
Vinoly, the 660,000 square-foot facility (the largest building in
New England) boasts a striking curved roof design that sweeps out
over its entrance on Summer Street, and, when finished, will
welcome visitors from all over the world.
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Everything Old Is
NEW
Again
The following sites are
time-honored Boston landmarks that re-opened during the past
year after undergoing extensive renovations. Each sought to
modernize its facilities while keeping its historical essence
intact. See listings on page 45 for hours and admission
prices. |