May 14, 2008 Architects descend on Boston with admiration Play video

(NECN) - 25,000 architects are in Boston this week for the American Institute of Architects Convention. It is the first one in Boston in 16 years and a lot has been built since 1992.

Helen Hatch is from Atlanta. She is a principal at TVS, specializing in hotels and convention centers. Jan Preis is an architect in Honolulu and son of one of Hawaii's most famous civic planners.

They were down on the South Boston waterfront checking out Boston's new Institute of Contemporary Art. Their verdict: two thumbs up for the ICA, especially the bold hanging-over-the-water placement.

Across Northern Avenue, Helen's firm competed, unsuccessfully, for the contract to design the $700 million convention center.

Helen's firm is now consulting on a big BCEC expansion. Yahn Peter has one provocative suggestion: make the side facing downtown as dramatic as the entrance from Summer Street.

Another shrine for visiting architects is Frank Geary's Stata Center, MIT building 32, or, as they'd put it, two to the fifth power.

Boston may not be perfect, but there is a lot for architects to love.