Mandarin doesn't rise to the occasion

I COULDN'T agree more with Alex Beam's less-than-glowing architectural review of the much-anticipated Mandarin Oriental, Boston.

I scurried over to Boylston Street at lunchtime the day of its grand opening, hoping to catch a glimpse of its elegance and sophistication.

Instead, what I found was a building much like those in old news reels, with hungry folks queued up outside in soup lines.

The architect, attempting to explain his vision, says that Boylston Street is much like a cake, with some buildings standing out as the raisins and some buildings blending in as the batter.

Regarding the Mandarin - and using his metaphor - I think the baker dropped in some eggshell.

JUDY SILVA
Winthrop