Boston is a great city, and it has a great deal of crowded streets. One of them is Newbury Street, which is quite expensive for not only businesses, but also individuals who want to catch a whiff of “dirty, old Boston.” In a city of brick, the Bonwit Teller building stands out on Newbury Street for its stone. It is a stunning building which originally served as the Historic Museum of Natural History. Today, it is a retail space for those who would like to purchase high-end furniture. The building has passed through a great number of renovations. The most recent renovation was done by Bergmeyer, a local architectural firm. It is definitely worth seeing at night, as well. This sketch was from across from the building.
The Harvard Art Museums emerged from its construction cocoon after a five-year slumber and has been transformed into a mix of the old and the modern. Renzo Piano’s lines, of course, grace the building. Visitors appreciate his thoughtful steel details in the design of the building. The new skylight design is captivating. This sketch is from a street corner. I can not say that the Harvard collection is as good as Yale’s, and yet there are some pieces that visitors should see. If you visit the museum, you can also see the sole Le Corbusier building in the U.S., nextdoor.
I could not take my eyes off of Le Corbusier’s building, as if it were the only building on the entire continent. He paid attention to his “five point principles” just in the same way he approached the Villa Savoye. This sketch is from the ramp where it connects Quincy Street to Prescott Street. This is a must-see for architecture students.
The only piece in the U.S. of Le Corbusier is located in Cambridge, next to the Harvard Art Museums. The architect accepted the design, despite a delay due to budgetary and schedule conflicts. The comic, perhaps, tragic situation is Le Corbusier visited twice the U.S during that period and yet he never saw the actual building through to its finish due to his poor health. Now, this building is used by Harvard University for the department of Visual and Environmental Studies and a theater, the Harvard Film Archive. The building serves as a venue for a great deal of events, especially films.
Another interesting building is Cambridge is the Harvard Lampoon building, on Auburn Street. The architect, Edmund M. Wheelwright, was originally from Boston -Roxbury. The information I have about the building is truly astonishing. Wheelwright was inspired by an old church in Virginia and the street’s architectural details. It is definitely worth seeing if you stop by Boston.
She wanders through Memorial Hall. I wander off, too. Like mother, like son, I guess. Memorial Hall is a Harvard University cafeteria. The interior is reminiscent of the Harry Potter dining hall. This sketch is from the back side of the building. That summer day, there were a lot of tourists, like my mother, who tried to peek at the inside. I am not sure that it is open to the public. Anyway, it was memorable experience for my mother.
The recently renovated addition to the Boston Public Library Copley Square branch was designed by John Phillips. In previous posts, I executed an interior sketch from the mezzanine. In this sketch, I discovered the exterior. I did not have a good feeling about the exterior facade and yet the interior spaces are truly useful and planned very well, with all due respect. The idea of installing seating which looks out on the street is quite considerate as it is not possible to see this included in most of today’s libraries. Perhaps it is a question of location. However, the light which showers down on us from the skylight is transcendent. It should be seen. This sketch is from a picture taken from Boylston Street.
