While this apartment building is completely out of scale with its surroundings in the Back Bay neighborhood, it is one of my favorite Modernist apartment buildings in the neighborhood it its own right. Hear me out! 330 Beacon was built in 1959-1960 as a seventeen story (plus penthouse) apartment building designed by modernist architect Hugh Stubbins & Associates. The tower is largely constructed of red brick similar to early 20th century apartment houses, and exhibits an undulating facade, possibly as a nod to the prevalence of 19th century projecting bays which the neighborhood is so known for. The fenestration (window placement and proportions) is also interesting as it differs on every third floor, the staggering breaks up the monotony of many similar apartment blocks built in this time period. Many of you likely will not love this building, especially after knowing that it replaced five stunning townhouses, but I love to show how New England architecture has modernized and changed based on ever-evolving tastes and housing demands.
Buildings of New England 
Thanks for including this. How confident and assertive the modernists were! “Context? What context?” I agree the fenestration is really fun, but the ground floor loggia is the usual mid-century nightmare, reminiscent of a strip mall. The concrete and aluminum in these buildings don’t age well, unlike the simpler materials of the previous generations. By the way, amusing that the lovely 1885 Rotch & Tilden house at 328 was first re-designed by Stebbins, and then replaced by a building designed by Stubbins!
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To have demolished those historically beautiful townhouses to erect this concrete and aluminum monster, is to have built over the townhouses graves. Their architecture could have been renovated and appreciated for years and years going forward, which this horrible monster never will have! Another history sacrificed to the modernists!!
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