February 2009 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Two skyscrapers joined by a wind acceleration unit proposed by Boston developer Donald Chioferro with Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, architects, would replace the current aquarium garage. It's hard to overstate what a dumb proposal this is. Of the ridiculous rectangular void between the two towers, Chioferro says, "it's there because it's an elegant sculpture." Mayor Thomas Menino said, in essence, that this piece of crap would be approved over his dead body. Good for him. The mystery is why -- in a catastrophically contracting economy, compounded by a latent energy crisis -- anyone thinks Boston needs almost a million square feet of new office space. Or why, in a disintegrating "consumer" context, there would be any need for more retail. Or why, in an apocalyptic residential real estate situation, anyone would want to bring 120 condos on line.

Earth-to-the-architecture-profession: the skyscraper is obsolete. Wrap your minds around that if you can.