Illlllillllllllilllllllllllllllillililillllillillllllll AllSU3AINn H331SVX3X PARK STREET STATION BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS PARK STRKRT STAXTQN A Mass Transit Station For The People ofBoston by Daniel P. Chamberlain A THESIS IN ARCHITECTURE Submitted to the Architecture Faculty of the Coilege of Architecture of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulf llment for the degree of BAOWFÎ OR OF^RrváTFrTÎTRP Programming Instructor (ARCH4395): Dr. Rinaldo Petrini, AIA Design Critic (ARCH 4631): Dr. Rinaldo Petrini, AIA . x7 / ' /5ean, College of Architecture / December, 1988 TABLE OF CONTENTS A Design Thesis: Park Street Station 7/^ Dedication Polt /5^73/0 Preface SECTION A Thesis Statement '^'^ SECTION A Contextual Information: ^"^ SECTION B Introduction Park Strcet Church City of Boston Urban Development The Boston Commons Site Plan Qty Map The Physical Environment M.B.T.A SECTION C Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Issues Analysis: SECTION D Activity / Spacial Groupings Environmental Rcactions Spacial Qualities: SECTION D The City of Boston: The Boston Visitors Center ThcCity of Boston: Concets on the Commons MBTA: Park Street Station Grccn Line RedLinc Bus Dcpot / Ground Transportation T A B L E O K C: O IN 1 K IN 1 S ! A Desjgn Thesis: Park Street Station User Study: SECTION E Thc Qty of Boston: Thc Boston Visitors Ccntcr ThcCityofBoston: Conccts on thc Commons MBTA: Park Strect Station GrcenLinc RcdLinc Bus Dcpot / Ground Transportation Space / Activity Information: SECTION E Introduction / Symbols Legend Thc City of Boston: Thc Boston Visitors Center Thc City of Boston: Conccrts on the Commons MBTA: Park Street Station GrecnLinc RedLinc Bus Dcpot / Ground Transportation Activity / Space Matrix SECTION F Legal Appendix SECTION G Case Studies: SECTION H Park Strcct Station: Boston, Massachusctts Amtrak Station: Albuqucrquc, Ncw Mcxico Photo Index SECTION I Credits SECTION I P R E F A C E : A Design Thesis: Park Street Station Dedicated to the patience and understanding of my mother and father, whom I love dearly. THESIS SECnON A PRE F A C E : A Design Thesis: Park Street Station Approximatcly 100 ycars ago, in 1897, thc Boston Transit Commission chartcrcd thc Boston Elevated Railway Co., and thus laid thc foundation for todays M.B.T.A.(Massachusctts Bay Tranqx>rtation Authority). It is fiom this point that a conflict bcgan in and about the Boston Commons, thc arca of major congcstion of the city in the 1890's. It was felt by the citizens, that the cnviîDnmental impact of an clcvated train would adverscly affect the Comnoons area. Also of concem, was the fact that thc citics pcople approvcd a measure to curb any strect widening in the area as well. Thc prospects of easing any congestion in thc area were considered good, when approached with the idca of a subway system. T H E S I S S T A T E M E N T : Architecture Thesis Statement IVJl ovemcnt maybc thc catalyst of a dynamic charaaer. harmony is produccd by mutual withdrawl into homogeneous Thc mcdium by which movement can accur varies from sequence to communities, exclusion and isolation from groups with diffcrcnt lifc scquencc, and changcs constantly with the dynamics of stylcs and values. A mosaic of homogeneous communitics Architccturc. Architccturc is integrated with movement in spacc, maintains diffcrent lifc stylcs that are intemally cohesive and and is subscquendy influenccd by the characteristic medium in exclusive, but extemally non-agrcssive unless threatened. Mobility which it takcs placc. It is my bclief, that the characteristics of within the mosaic leads to a high degree of expressed satisfaction by movemcnt, in particular, are integral to the creation of "placc". rcsidents with their communitics, and the option for those who arc Thcrcforc.it is with two fundamentals: 1). Movement, and 2). The dissatisf ed to move to an altemative that is more in kecping with charactcristics of thc environment; that a sense of "place" their life-style requircments. can be realized. Ih£Sîà MobilitY M. his Design Thesis will provide the opportunity to pursue IVl obility is of coursc in dircct rclation to the simplistic the relationship between societal structure on one hand, and thc notions of movement. Howcvcr, it is the movement of individuals, characteristics of movement, movement systems, the notion of an idcntifiable place. It will idcntify specific Architectural constraints who, by socialization "seck self-idcntif cation within the mass within thc physical environmcnL It is with grcat anticipation that society, create complcx institutional deviccs" to which Architccturc thc articulations of movement generate thc Architccturc. It is a vcry rcsponds and crcatcs. Sociologically speaJdng, Mobility of such clcmentary concept of the interaction of thc physical environment, individulas can maintain intcgration of divcrse groups of people. the dynamics of spacc, and the pcrceptions of thc individuaL What appears to havc cmcrgcd and to bc cmerging in Amcrica is a mosiac culture - a socicty with a numbcr of parallcl and disrinctively diffcrcnt lifc stylcs. Whilc onc rcsult is divisivc tcndencics for thc socicty as a wholc, at anothcr lcvcl, mutual CONTEXT SECTION B Park Street Stanonfrom Tremont Street C O N T E X T IJ A L A N A L Y S I S : Introduction Ln light of the fact that a series of interactions (thc notion of "placc", thc idca of movcment, moment, and thc necd for social intcrplay with Architecture) arc needcd to complete this thesis; The BOSTON sitc and project is to be the subway interchangc in Boston, Massachusctts, known as Park Strcct Station. This particular site and projcct offcrs the needed interactions of thc built cnvironment, the natural environment, the human individual, and the simplistic notion of movement. It is on the border of many important aspects of a city, and in this case, thc city of Boston; not to mention the fact that it is in itsclf, a series of characteristic nodes. It is adjacent to the Boston Visitors center, a starting point of the cities "Freedom Trail". The site creates an edge along the Southeastem edge of thc Boston Commons and the Boston CBD. The site is also adjacent to the historic Park Strect Church. With respect to the function of thc site, or subway interchangc; all four lines of thc M.B.T.A. transit systcm pass thru this point and make interchanges. These are thc Orange, Red, Blue, and Grccn lincs. Thc spirii that each of these elcments brings to the character of thc Architecturc are to bc herc considcrcd effective to thc overall livcly hood of the givcn Architecturc. Map ofthe original city boundaries . CONTEXTUAL ANALVSTS Park Street Church Park Strcet Church was founded in 1809, the population of continue to observe the intersection, neither dominating the other. the city of Boston had reached 33,000, and was sited at the comer The proximity of the church and the Architectural signicance of tiie of Tremont Street and Park Street; thus the name. A group of men church will undoubtedly have an impact on this thesis. It is an gathered in the mansion of William Thurston on Beacon Hill on opportunity, I think, to embody some of the spirit that the Fcbruary 27,1809 to discuss the organization of a church in the area Architecture of the church holds. Not neccessarily a holy spirit, but of Beacon Hill. By mid March the committee had located the current one of vitality and life. sitc. Immediately adjacent to the Park Streel Church, along The Architect of the Church was Peter Banner, an Tremont street, is the Granary Buring Ground. Now a landmark of Englishman. Of the day, many different skilled workers were Bostons' patriotic roll in the revolution. Five of the victims of the employcd to create the intricate masonry, millwork, and fenestration bloody Boston Massacre were laid to rest in this ground. Others that is today considered to expensive or Architecturally outdated. Of include John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, the parents of the Architecture, Park Street Church is very significant. It is based Ben Franklin, and Mrs ver Goose, reputed author of the Mother on the dcsign work of Sir Christopher Wren. The layout is not Goose Rhymes. unlikc Wrcn. The steeple, rising 217 feet, is at the center of the entry way on the comer of Tremont and Park Streets, facing Tremont StrccL Work began on the site in mid-April with the clearing of the area and the comersione of the church was laid May Ist, 1809. At the time inwhich ihe church was built, the site it occupied was thc most noticable throughout the city. With its' height, the steeple was noticable at sea. Today, however, many new highrises and multistoried buildings block many of the views and old vistas that the Church incorporated with the city. The city has, however, since hmited any growth in the area to be not taller than the steeple. The church still does, however, occupy the intersection of the two streets, as does Park Street Staiion. It is hoped that the two will V ií'vv ofPark Streetfrom thc souih C O N T E X T U A L A N A L Y S S : Urban Design Character Introduction Boston is a 350-year-oId city settied in the beginning of the 15th Ccntury. The city had origally been upon a hiU, "Beacon Hill", but these hills were subsequentiy excavated for building purposes. Only Beacon Hill remains. Early on, the rugged landscape determined circulation pattems around the then town of Boston. Although the landscape is now less rigorous, the irregular pattems remian. In the Mid to late 19th century, Urban renewal programs cleared many of the older sections of the city to make way for new biûldings. This attitude of bum and rebuild has the unique historic character of the city.