Submitted by oozforashag t3_11je373 in boston
Comments
[deleted] t1_jb2cq6p wrote
I like to imagine it covered in moss or vines
oozforashag OP t1_jb2dpj2 wrote
That's a cool thought.
[deleted] t1_jb2n3h0 wrote
Brutalism is the most imaginative in a case of mild decay
cptahb t1_jb37jzd wrote
wtf does "most imaginative" mean here
Commercial_Board6680 t1_jb53xbu wrote
I get this.
mini4x t1_jb2fesj wrote
Last of us style?
RJH04 t1_jb2js85 wrote
Boston without traffic was the best part of the first few episodes… 😜
[deleted] t1_jb2wbtj wrote
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RJH04 t1_jb57hd5 wrote
Better than our parking spots after a storm… THAT LAWN CHAIR IS THERE FOR A REASON, ASSHOLE!
MMAHipster t1_jb4p65a wrote
It’s what I miss most about Covid. I was able to get from Beacon Hill to Magoun Sq. via Storrow in under ten minutes during rush hour. God I miss that.
RJH04 t1_jb5a414 wrote
“Tell us again, about the magic times?”
“Ah, child, it was the worst of times, and the best. Half the country was screaming that their liberties were being removed because of a piece of cloth, and an orange ape was throwing ketchup on the walls of the White House… but my morning commute was measured in minutes, not hours…”
children murmur and gasp
Grimsrasatoas t1_jb5dg9a wrote
My parents were moving from the south shore up to SW NH in late 2019/early 2020 and it’s usually a ~2hr drive on average. My mom was able to get it down to 1.5hrs a couple times
alohadave t1_jb5jsn2 wrote
I regret now not coming into the city to take pictures of the emptiness. But I had other things on my mind at the time.
Reasonable_Move9518 t1_jb2y7y5 wrote
City Hall would be absolute fire with a light covering of moss or vines.
Blade Runner meets Jedi Temple vibes.
General_Liu1937 t1_jb2p35x wrote
They just redid the plaza. Needs more trees
Diora0 t1_jb2qy8b wrote
Decor? That can be burned? On my fortified brutalist concrete fortress? I dunno about that
TiredPistachio t1_jb289a0 wrote
I do think its possible to say it "looks cool" and also say "its insanely ugly" at the same time. The contrast of the sunlight on that side does look pretty cool.
FourAM t1_jb2p9vu wrote
It could probably do with a good power washing
drb00b t1_jb2we69 wrote
That could be said about a lot of the city, including the MBTA
charons-voyage t1_jb2zarz wrote
Please don’t disrupt the load-bearing grime
drb00b t1_jb30l1e wrote
I suppose it does also camouflage the rats
DiMarcoTheGawd t1_jb5kem8 wrote
The rats are part of the grime, like one big interconnected super-organism
DJFurioso t1_jb33ydh wrote
Can you imagine how much water would leak through the walls if they removed the grime? Only thing keeping the tunnels from flooding.
bluefives t1_jb4d3a5 wrote
I actually really like brutalist architecture.
Was visiting colleges with my dad, and at UMass Amherst I commented that I liked the architecture, and he said, "What are you, a communist?!" jokingly.
That was my first exposure to the meaning and history of brutalist architecture.
ducksaws t1_jb52p7h wrote
Isn't UMass Dartmouth the brutalist one?
alohadave t1_jb5khdv wrote
The student center and the Fine Arts buildings are both Brutalist. Amherst has a more diverse set of styles than Dartmouth does.
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5jyqa wrote
Visited friends down at UMassDartmouth, or whatever it's called now, maybe mid '70's. All concrete construction, I was amazed. Can't imagine what it looks like now
SteamingHotChocolate t1_jb2djt5 wrote
I don't really get why people care about City Hall being sort of Brutalist-weird when there is plenty of beautiful architecture abounding everywhere else in the city
hedoeswhathewants t1_jb2gez3 wrote
Why aren't people allowed to think a building is ugly just because there are others nearby that are less ugly?
SteamingHotChocolate t1_jb2rvd7 wrote
Ah yeah because I definitely said people weren't allowed to do that thing that they're doing
doomsday_windbag t1_jb2te82 wrote
Where did they say it wasn’t allowed?
Marshmallowadmiral t1_jb2vpt5 wrote
My main issue with City Hall isn't the building itself, but rather that City Hall Plaza is an empty wasteland where a real neighborhood used to be. Scollay Square was a bustling working-class neighborhood, with its own unique character. Today, City Hall and most of the surrounding buildings see traffic only on weekdays, 9-5. That whole part of Boston feels like a monument to an era where we kicked people out of cities and reduced their neighborhoods to office parks.
donkadunny t1_jb30lqf wrote
The surrounding buildings only see traffic weekdays from 9-5? Buddy, Faneuil Hall is directly across the street and it’s the 4th largest tourist attraction in the country. It’s much busier than you are giving it credit for and Scollay Square was demolished 60 years ago.
Marshmallowadmiral t1_jb33jd3 wrote
The point is that nobody lives there. Yes, Faneuil Hall is a major tourist attraction and there are some restaurants and bars around there (and doesn't city hall plaza seem even more dead when you look at the crowds around Faneuil?). But the area is not a real neighborhood, it's a destination. Which I think is a major failure of American cities in general- our city centers are most often treated as destinations rather than places to live. This general attitude has some pretty bad outcomes for city dwellers, both historically and today. While Scollay Square is long gone, it's still a useful story to explain why Boston looks the way it does today, and it helps us talk about what direction Boston (and American cities) should take in the future.
TuarezOfTheTuareg t1_jb4vcsj wrote
Weird take... Why do people need to live there? What's wrong with an area being a destination? Are you saying that every inch of a city needs to be some kind of "neighborhood" where people live? I don't get your point at all. It's nonsensical. Cities need civic and commercial districts just as much as they need residential ones. City hall could be a better destination if, for example, the concrete plaza was replaced with more interesting commercial development or open space, but to criticize it for being a destination is kinda weird.
kdmccormick t1_jb4zcov wrote
I'm not completely disagreeing with you, but it's not true that destinations have to be non-residential. The North End is a destination and a neighborhood: people live above all those restaurants. The idea that commercial and residential need to be cleanly separated is weird modern one. People lived above businesses for hundreds of years before mid-1900s zoning laws made it largely illegal to build like that in the US.
All that's to say: another neighborhood of four-story townhouses with shops & restaurants on the first floor would be amazing to have in downtown.
TuarezOfTheTuareg t1_jb4zrjc wrote
Yea I agree with that. It's just the characterization of "destinations" as being undesirable that was weirding me out. I'm a town planner and we talk all the time about strategies to make commercial/civic districts into more appealing destinations. That's a desirable trait! Nothing precludes people from living in areas like that too though
kdmccormick t1_jb4zyrc wrote
Oh, totally agreed!
donkadunny t1_jb54adk wrote
Have you even been to downtown Boston? Do you know how many buildings are already ground floor retail and residences above? There are many. Like that is actually what a ton of it already is. Ground floor retail with commercial or residential above.
[deleted] t1_jb39m7d wrote
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Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5kmm9 wrote
Look at the Combat Zone, lower Washington St. Been high rise Ritz for a while now. No more shops & strip joints. Fun times at 3am
calinet6 t1_jb4rxcp wrote
Yeah, like it’s just this big wasteland of flat concrete. Waste of space IMO. Sometimes I like to image what Scollay square would be today if they didn’t tear everything down to put in… flat concrete and stairs.
alohadave t1_jb5kzup wrote
> City Hall Plaza is an empty wasteland
If they made it into an actual park, it'd help significantly. With like grass and trees and a reason to linger, rather than as a passthrough to get to somewhere else.
Bostonstrangler69 t1_jb38rxo wrote
it takes roughly 50 years for a building to come back in style.
TiredPistachio t1_jb39qte wrote
Oh great we're overdue for more of this? "Wonderful"
alohadave t1_jb5llrp wrote
No, it means that after about 50-75 years, styles become historical, rather than outdated. Many styles have this period where they get torn down because they aren't in style, and they aren't appreciated.
Brutalism isn't coming back because it was a 60s-70s idea, and the world has moved on.
TomBirkenstock t1_jb2856b wrote
Every year at least a dozen condos go up in and around Boston that are so much uglier.
Anxa t1_jb2hrgp wrote
That 5&1 design is so easy, cheap, and is gonna age terribly. Just part of the race to the bottom for developers.
thejosharms t1_jb2sxlm wrote
Cape Cod homes are just so easy and cheap, gonna age terribly. Just part of the race to the bottom... (Reddit: Circa 1800~)
The colonial model is so easy, cheap and gonna age terribly. Just part of the race to the bottom for developers (Reddit: circa 1850~)
The triple decker model is so easy, cheap and is gonna age terribly. Just a part of a race to the bottom (Reddit: Circa 1870~)
Reddit circa 2020~: Ugh we keep tearing down these beautiful historic buildings and homes for these soul-less, bland modern condo and apartment buildings! Where has all the character gone!
Should I keep going?
/r/Boston - BUILD MORE DENSE HOUSING.
Developers build 5:1 buildings far more dense than stand alone buildings
/r/boston NO NOT LIKE THAT MAKE IT COOL LOOKING OR SOMETHING, RENOVATE HISTORIC BUILDINGS!
Developers: OK, but it's going to be expensive....
/r/boston NO. ALSO IT MUST BE AFFORABLE HOUSING
JFC what do you people want?
We can get housing "good" in terms of aesthetics and art, "fast" in that we all seem to agree we're in a housing crisis or "cheap" in that the developer can build it and rent units out at a reasonable cost.
Choose two. We can't have all three without massive government subsidies and as much as I'm in favor of that, and policies like UBI, it's really unlikely to happen even in the deep blue sea of MA. Can we just take what we can get instead of whining about generic 5:1 construction (which to draw attention to my original point is how construction has always worked and why you drive through neighborhoods where all the houses more or less look the same?)
okletssee t1_jb2w80y wrote
The "1870s redditors" were right IMO lol. But I think this is a good point overall. Eras just have different styles due to economics, technology, artistic preferences, etc., etc...
calinet6 t1_jb4ta2y wrote
If you read some architecture writing like Christopher Alexander, one of the cool concepts is that architecture is not fixed and changes over time based on the needs of the inhabitants.
I find it cool that the triple deckers are undergoing a second life in many parts of town as people improve them and keep them up, many were turned from three units to two (“Philly style”) to accommodate larger families and more space needs.
We can expect this to happen more and more over time and there’s even some sense that we should build in preparation for change over the life of a building. And a more generic almost malleable style or construction might be just the thing over the long term to be ready for change.
Kinda a cool perspective.
TuarezOfTheTuareg t1_jb4wih4 wrote
God thank you!! Do people seriously think that builders in past eras were some kind of weird altruistic anomalies who opted for good design over profits? If older buildings are "good architecture", it's because the builders of the past backed into it while pursuing profit and it's because our tastes have been weened on older designs. The fan-favorite "cape house" was designed by Royal Barry Wills not because it looked nice, but because it was the most efficient design that could be pumped out in mass quantities. Now we view it as the quintessential quaint single family home. Who's to say we wont feel the same way in 70-100 years about the 5:1s?
TomBirkenstock t1_jb5eud7 wrote
Some of those older buildings are ugly, though. We should expect more, and I don't think critiquing ugly condos is the equivalent to saying we shouldn't build more housing stock. We absolutely should. I certainly wouldn't pay over a half a million to live in an ugly condo building from 2015, but clearly some people will.
Anxa t1_jb3gd3d wrote
> what do you people want?
I didn't say any of the things you just implied I said, so I don't really know how to answer this question.
calinet6 t1_jb4ssix wrote
Doesn’t matter. We need to catch up to the tune of approximately 100,000 more new units per year. Every era’s style differs, my 1900 Victorian for example is built like shit and need(ed/s) all kinds of structural improvement. The beams in the basement are literal tree trunks and the rafters are 3/4” boards.
We need to stop glorifying old stuff through rose colored glasses and wishing for more undefinable “character” and start building people homes to live in. Fast.
shiverMeTatas t1_jb2j8vq wrote
What does 5&1 mean?
locke_5 t1_jb2kllb wrote
"Five over one" meaning five floors of apartments over one base level/parking.
AeuiGame t1_jb4v766 wrote
The five and one actually refer to building materials. Wood floors (Type 5) over a concrete base (Type 1). Its a building code thing, but yeah, its usually used as apartment levels over one retail/base level.
Buildings of various heights can be five over ones.
DPC128 t1_jb2k1c2 wrote
It basically refers to all those soulless 5 story condo buildings that are going up literally everywhere. The boxy gentrified-looking ones.
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5lewt wrote
Right next to all the T "rapid" transit stations
[deleted] t1_jb2k8jc wrote
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mpjjpm t1_jb2lqz0 wrote
You can gentrify a neighborhood by tearing down older buildings a replacing them with new builds
[deleted] t1_jb2n9s8 wrote
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Acadia_Due t1_jb2ru80 wrote
Gentrification can refer to the character of a neighborhood (see definition 2 here). On top of that, "gentrified-looking" does not necessarily mean gentrified.
Moment_of_Inertia t1_jb4zj7w wrote
Why would 5 over 1 construction age terribly?
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5mgdz wrote
ugly, typically. And single family homes, uggh. Don't have many pet peeves, but travel around the country see all the new homes being built 20 ft from one another, bulldoze any and all trees, but there's plenty of adjacent land.I understand the $cost. Welcome to everywhere
hx87 t1_jb45oub wrote
Having the windows set in 4 inches from the exterior wall instead of being flush would fix 90% of 5/1 aesthetic problems. For some reasons builders insist on flush windows even when the rest of the waterproofing layer is 2-4 inches behind the exterior wall, which is insane from an engineering point of view.
Nobel6skull t1_jb2pgyz wrote
And they should be made prettier too. We shouldn’t accept horrifically ugly building just because there are even uglier ones.
hatersbelearners t1_jb272sf wrote
City Hall exterior fucking rules.
Stegosaurus5 t1_jb2jss5 wrote
It's crazy that we legitimately have one of the sickest buildings on the entire planet, and somehow most of the dweebs here complain that it's "ugly" because it isn't either a steel and glass gentrification box, or a "historic" brick thing.
BasilExposition75 t1_jb2sxze wrote
Doesn’t need to be class. That building is gross.
Reasonable_Move9518 t1_jb2yz9m wrote
It looks like the regional branch of an evil fictional corporation from an 80's Sci-Fi movie. Weyland-Yutani, Tyrell Corp, Omni Consumer Products, Cyberdyne, the like.
Which means it fucking slaps.
yacht_boy t1_jb34ki3 wrote
I love city hall. Took me a while to appreciate the interior, but once it clicked I was in awe of the architects. The whole building is awesome, except for where people have butchered various parts of the interior. Even the plaza, which may not be pretty, has served the city very well for huge gatherings of all sorts.
alohadave t1_jb5mbd0 wrote
I wish they'd reopen the exterior/interior plaza spaces to the public. They've been fenced off for decades now for 'security' and they only use them for limited events.
AeuiGame t1_jb4va4o wrote
Ever since I was a child it has been my single favorite building. It looks fucking sick.
MinistryOfDankness86 t1_jb2ao6f wrote
It’s ugly, yet charming. Kind of like a pug.
thejosharms t1_jb2qlbq wrote
Not a bad analogy, like most pugs buildings also can't breath.
Uncle_Jac_Jac t1_jb3dl16 wrote
Pugly
mufflermonday t1_jb29t52 wrote
City hall is definitely over-hated
Ok-Emotion-1131 t1_jb31r60 wrote
Brutalist architecture in general.
Walter_ORielly t1_jb2ulyt wrote
We’re all entitled to our own opinions. Yours happens to be wrong.
BabyLegsOShanahan t1_jb24onw wrote
If you squint, rotate and throw your phone maybe.
oozforashag OP t1_jb24yj7 wrote
The sunlit side, I mean. The rest belongs in the trash.
oozforashag OP t1_jb25hru wrote
Or on deer Island with some big dig rubble.
Edit spekky!
jricepilaf t1_jb295k3 wrote
I thought they built up spectacle island with the big dig rubble
oozforashag OP t1_jb2akh8 wrote
That's what I meant!
jricepilaf t1_jb2anqa wrote
I think deer island is where they put the poop now
oozforashag OP t1_jb2b9b1 wrote
I like to look at the spheres and imagine my own shit swirling around there with yours, and yours, and yours!
jricepilaf t1_jb2bnii wrote
Better than what they used to do...
"There is a brick building located at the end of the University of Massachusetts Boston campus facing Squantum. This is the location of the sewer system's pump house, known as the Calf Pasture Pumping Station Complex, which was named for the marshy area known as the Dorchester Calf Pasture at that time. Initially, this area was a long narrow land-filled peninsula but has been subsequently expanded many times to accommodate development.
Exiting the tunnel, the sewage was pumped through Squantum Neck and reached holding tanks on Moon Island through another conduit placed under the embankment from Squantum to Moon Island. The sand and gravel needed to complete this project was stripped from Half Moon Island, a crescent-shaped island that was located near the mouth of Black's Creek in Quincy Bay. Four huge cut-granite storage tanks with a 50-million-US-gallon (190,000 m3) capacity were built by the Cape Ann Granite Company to handle the sewage. These vats were formed by digging out the northern section of the hill and cementing and bricking the sides of the excavation. This reservoir was divided into four compartments, each with inlets and four outlets. The tanks were 900 by 150 feet (46 m) and 17 feet (5.2 m) deep. The bottoms were seven feet thick and were grooved to ease the removal of sludge. At one end was a gatehouse. The tank outlets were connected with a power pump and a turbine that was used to open the gates of the outflow pipe. The 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter outflow conduit extended 600 feet (180 m) into the harbor from the northern end of Moon Island. The Sewage Plant was completed in 1884 at a cost of $6-million.
The original operating plan was to collect the raw sewage in the four storage tanks during times of high water and, then, two hours after the start of ebb tide, the sewage would be discharged into the harbor. This allowed approximately four hours until slack water. The total outflow time was three to four hours per cycle or six to eight hours per 24-hour period. Boston Harbor normally has two tide and current cycles each day. The expectation was that the effluent would flow between Long and Rainsford Islands, through a small gut between Gallops and Georges Island, then out through Black Rock Channel and Nantasket Roads.
As time passed, the population of Boston expanded and additional communities were added to the system. The discharge of sewage at Moon Island required longer and longer outflow periods. The situation worsened until the incoming tides distributed the unprocessed sewage throughout the sand flats and beaches of Boston Harbor and Quincy Bay."
Argument-Upstairs t1_jb29bnb wrote
That's one sexy building.
khamrabaevite t1_jb2ovza wrote
Why is the flag of ghana flying there?
oozforashag OP t1_jb2ui3d wrote
Who brought the vexilologist!
charons-voyage t1_jb2zwou wrote
It’s a secret, I’m not Ghana tell.
Po0rYorick t1_jb5jqkw wrote
Booo
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5kvpt wrote
Vexilologist, Iooked it up, learned a new word today, thank you
hamakabi t1_jb4x5w6 wrote
Today is Ghana's independence day
derdoktor t1_jb5blze wrote
Most unfairly maligned building in the country. What’s bad about it is the wasteland that surrounds it, the jfk building, the tower. I know the plan is from Gropius, or near him, but overall the destruction of boston city center and the west end is one of the worst urban planning decisions of the „urban renewal“ and interstate highway era
Nobel6skull t1_jb2pdie wrote
Still ugly as shit.
calinet6 t1_jb4tgf1 wrote
Ugly as shit in a good way.
Nobel6skull t1_jb5thod wrote
If it had a non concrete facade it would be just ugly. If it had a non concrete facade and angles other then 90 it could be pretty. As it is, the sole benefit of nuclear war would be the annihilation of city hall.
fab-lollies t1_jb34ljw wrote
Why do I like this photo? It’s horrible in real life.
Po0rYorick t1_jb5lrgs wrote
I think the received knowledge is that it’s horrible and so many people never stop to question that opinion. But a good photo can make you stop and see the building again with fresh eyes.
It’s really quite a fantastic building that won all kinds of design awards. Check out this article for some more good shots.
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Malforus t1_jb2anin wrote
Brutalism is brutalism, it's an ugly style.
That said it ain't the worst brutalism building there is.
mpjjpm t1_jb2je4m wrote
It’s arguably one of the best brutalist buildings out there
Repulsive-Bend8283 t1_jb2kn2i wrote
Literally the 6th image when you Google "brutalism".
Acadia_Due t1_jb2s84z wrote
Medusa was famous too.
CoolAbdul t1_jb2uab7 wrote
If you like that, I've got a whole campus down in Dartmouth you'll LOVE.
oozforashag OP t1_jb52p9m wrote
Umass Boston's original host of awful buildings definitely belongs in the running. They also decided to fuck with thousands of people per day by building the main library stairs on a slant, so when going up your right leg has to step further than your left, and vice-versa on the way down.
It's probably apocryphal, but I heard that the campus was designed to limit the ability of students to assemble/demonstrate in response to 60s activisim.
CoolAbdul t1_jb55qxt wrote
Yeah, I believe it's called Seige Architecture. See: Worcester Police HQ for a prime example.
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5n2oz wrote
UMass Boston has a very deep history of inside politicians having a say in building. And rebuilding that mess.
Imaginary_wizard t1_jb2nqnk wrote
It's a horrible looking building
CoolAbdul t1_jb2und3 wrote
Hive mind regardless, it is a hideous building. If you want brutalism that works, Clark University's Robert Goddard Library is very spiffy.
BalognaSandwiches t1_jb3wqrq wrote
Idk man, I think I’d take city hall over this monstrosity lol
SpindriftRascal t1_jb260dc wrote
It’s an abomination. And it isn’t even functional. Spend five minutes inside thinking about efficiency and space utilization and you’ll want to tear it down.
romulusnr t1_jb4lejl wrote
No, it's just that people have no fuckin taste. Always admired that building.
bostexa t1_jb2e3yp wrote
Nah, it's still ugly
scrappychemist t1_jb2bsx0 wrote
BostonDogMom t1_jb67uas wrote
I really like this building from the exterior. I wish it was better maintained and the entire area more welcoming to the public. But because of post-9/11 and -1/6/21 security issues government buildings no longer feel like public spaces.
YourRoaring20s t1_jb2hhjb wrote
Still ugly as sin
Anxa t1_jb2hoho wrote
Ah, red meat for the sub
SherbertEquivalent66 t1_jb2zor2 wrote
If I had a time machine, would definitely go back and walk around Scollay Square.
inspircatible t1_jb3cc0k wrote
I feel like if city hall got a massive renovation there would also be people complaining that their tax dollars are going to it.
likezoinksscooby t1_jb3xsm4 wrote
I think one of the founders of brutalism architecture was quoted as saying the point of art is to be noticed. The building is meant to be transparent and Democratic in a way—the mayors office being clearly visible from the outside, for example. Personally I think it looks fine at night because the lighting and shadows help soften the appearance somewhat. That said, saying that art is meant to be noticed feels similar to a toddler acting out for attention—they may be noticed, but not necessarily for the best of reasons. I think the intention of the feeling they want to evoke in the view is just as important. The egalitarian/utilitarian/transparency that the architects championed is generally not the thing that comes to mind at first glance. Reading more about the buildings history has caused me to appreciate it more. That said, a city hall is a symbol just as much as it is a building. Reactions to Boston’s city hall generally run the lines of revulsion to disgust. It doesn’t evoke any sense of civic pride, and outside of certain niche circles, I truly don’t think many would miss it if it were torn down.
alohadave t1_jb5nbhj wrote
This particular building exemplifies "form follows function". The internal spaces create the shapes that you see on the outside. One example is the city council chambers. The underside of it hangs in the corner of the building over the main entrance and the step backs that you see in the ceiling are the viewing gallery risers.
Icy-Neck-2422 t1_jb26qmu wrote
It's a nice snap, but the building is still GATTACA fugly.
Doc-DRD t1_jb2n0qt wrote
You know it’s a great pic when that truly horribly ugly building can be made to look good!
potus1001 t1_jb2pbp6 wrote
Agree to disagree I guess.
There’s just so many sharp angles and it looks so unwelcoming.
oozforashag OP t1_jb527ui wrote
I like a building that's sharp enough to shave with.
reveazure t1_jb2zytr wrote
It looks like an extremely clumsy game of Tetris that got abandoned halfway through.
[deleted] t1_jb5b9gv wrote
Still makes me feel like I'm gunna stub my toe or hit my head. Like it needs to ne babyproofed
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5j2dm wrote
Worked downtown Boston early '74 (Mayor Kevin White) for 30yrs...loved watching all the "new" buildings and the city became a real city. Loved the poured concrete that was trendy back then. Aways liked City Hall, a distinct building. Unfortunately, they've tried a number of times/people to dress it up, the whole plaza. Never, maybe ever, be able to make it a successful space.I do miss Boston!
singalong37 t1_jb6ujbg wrote
They had a sidewalk cafe on the Plaza in the former Cornhill, near the steaming kettle, back in '74. You could sit in the sunken fountain on a nice summer evening then too. The plaza has always seemed to need more activity nodes but I haven't seen a regular restaurant with tables there since the '70s and the fountain is long gone. Anyway, the plaza got a big redesign last year with many enhancements and lots of new trees so we'll see how things go.
Ran into Kevin on Charles Street that summer, near his home. I felt a little sheepish holding an open container at the moment but it was fun to see him in the flesh.
Next-Editor6166 t1_jbacfuz wrote
Early days of Gov't Center there were push carts along Cambridge St selling pitas, etc. I remember Frank Belloti's (former MA AG) daughter ran a very successful kebob stand. My first pita! You'd see Kevin around town, I still think he was Boston's best mayor.
TransientMoth t1_jb6n0m0 wrote
Calling brutalist architecture ‘handsome’ much like my nana complimented her homely grandchildren.
usernmtkn t1_jb6r331 wrote
The hate for Boston City Hall is ridiculous. Its a really cool building.
Dragongala t1_jb6t6wr wrote
No, no it really doesn't.
MonkitaB t1_jb2cr8v wrote
I think it depends on which side you are looking at
[deleted] t1_jb2efz5 wrote
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General_Liu1937 t1_jb2p5o1 wrote
It looks nicer on that side. The side getting off from Government Center isn't as nice.
boston_duo t1_jb2q7fu wrote
It just needs lots of trees
Gingerstash t1_jb31iv9 wrote
Literal masterpiece! (In dappled sunlight or otherwise)
mlivebc t1_jb35tge wrote
It looks like a Decipticon pretending to look like a real building and is frozen just as it started to transform back.
[deleted] t1_jb37v0h wrote
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boenobleman t1_jb3esnq wrote
Drink enough Sam Adams and anything looks handsome.
hbHPBbjvFK9w5D t1_jb3i7hu wrote
Sure the front is nice enough.
Shame the back looks like a lifer's prison.
SlightlySlantyOne t1_jb3ib1s wrote
Ah yes, Scollay Square. I remember it well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scollay_Square#/media/File:Boston_1888_Sampson_ScollaySquare_area.jpg
Jimmyking4ever t1_jb3seqd wrote
Looks like it belongs in a dystopian scifi future like judge Dredd or hunger games
msiggy t1_jb3wqdb wrote
Does it though?
ccb621 t1_jb42oyy wrote
Is the old Ford Taurus still there? Every time I passed that thing I thought of Robocop (which was filmed at Dallas City Hall).
cothomasmiller t1_jb478id wrote
Architectural changes in the city have made it blend in more. I remember it from the early eighties. When it was 'opened' before it was finished; the building must have been strange compared to the architecture of the area outside the renewal district.
note: it opened before it was finished because Mayor Connelly wanted to move his office before the grand opening
ARC_32 t1_jb47o0q wrote
You'd be amazed how much concrete can absorb the smell of urine over decades.
ElQueue_Forever t1_jb4epiq wrote
Every time I walk by that building I think "A mental patient designed it".
Then I remember that the Department of Mental Health is in that building.
And I facepalm...
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5nqrj wrote
Hurley Mental Health building is at the other end of Gov't Center. Another concrete mess.
alohadave t1_jb5ogik wrote
That building hasn't been maintained properly and parts of it are literally falling apart. It was at risk of being demolished before the pandemic, but it's in limbo now.
The Mass Dept of Public Health building in JP is also Brutalist.
microserf86 t1_jb4ky4u wrote
The problem with brutalism is that it looks great on paper: exciting, dramatic, modern, stark, efficient and effective. Where it fails is in the real life placement.
While the architect might've drawn a beautiful building in the blueprints (it might even look great from a mile away if there weren't line of sight interruptions), it rarely considered that there will be ugly streets, and other human requirements as they work.
Hopefully the greenery additions to the plaza will help a little bit in making it more human.
East_Cartographer_57 t1_jb4p0dv wrote
The stuff around it (like the weather) looks good. It's still ugly across the board.
IrnBruBruh t1_jb4pifz wrote
Someone, please tell me why this City Hall is built like a prison?!?! 😭
ari_iaccarino t1_jb4q3an wrote
It’s what’s on the inside that counts 👍
scotchplaid87 t1_jb4q5h5 wrote
A dumpster would look good in that sun
diadem t1_jb4qlkx wrote
The contrast between that utilitarian design* and the artsy nearby Christopher Columbus park doesn't help.
Edit: I apologize for not knowing the actual architectural term (brutalist, maybe? Not sure)
trimolius t1_jb4ryhn wrote
I stillthink it’s ugly but the lighting in this photo is lovely.
patrickbrusil t1_jb4si1y wrote
I refuse to believe this isn’t an oil painting or photoshop. Too pretty. Never seen it in real life. 😂
oozforashag OP t1_jb4tii1 wrote
New phone, lucky lighting, and composition inspired by a few beers at the Sam Adams tap room from where I took the photo.
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Ajgrob t1_jb4w43u wrote
I mean it kind of looks cool in this picture, but it's almost impossible to clean the exterior of this kind of building. So while it probably looked pretty cool the day it was built, over time the exterior has not aged well and up close it looks like shit. Interior is brutal too (and not in a good way).
I think there's plans to spruce up the plaza with trees etc., which will probably help.
eaglessoar t1_jb4wlev wrote
personally i love this building and the interior is awesome too
88mcinor88 t1_jb53lpg wrote
Is there any truth that they used Legos to prototype the design?
Commercial_Board6680 t1_jb53ryt wrote
I've never liked Brutalist architecture. It's too big and imposing and, well, brutal, as in punishingly hard or uncomfortable. But, the lighting is softening it's image a bit,...
Nah, it's still an ugly building. Sorry, I tried.
Stealth8900 t1_jb54380 wrote
Imagine how nice it would look like if it was powerwashed!
Jet_Funk t1_jb5882e wrote
I see 8 huge cement boxes and some cars
JangSaverem t1_jb58w0i wrote
I'm actually a big fan of this style of building.
As a UMass Dartmouth allum you can see what I mean if you check out that campus
albert_the_unicorn t1_jb5919z wrote
This why you have to look at apartments on a shitty day. Everything looks nice on a beautiful day in winter.
MojitoSipper t1_jb5ftf6 wrote
I like the building. It looks weird but unique. I dig that.
theotherlittleguy t1_jb5nlo5 wrote
Imagine explaining to someone who built the previous city hall that this city hall is somehow better. Let's not forget they kicked thousands of people out of their homes for this and the abomination that is the current west end / MGH complex.
Next-Editor6166 t1_jb5o1oi wrote
But I've l always loved Center Plaza even though they blocked the street view of Pemberton Courthouse
irishgypsy1960 t1_jb5upay wrote
I personally find the center plaza building much uglier.
Stormodin t1_jb5xnyu wrote
It looks like inception when the buildings are transforming and this one didn't finish lol
Guys-This-Is-Ethan t1_jb62hnf wrote
BRUTALITY
CITY HALL WINS
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peepeepoopoomc t1_jb7rcuc wrote
I love brutalist architecture
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SoulSentry t1_jb2fu05 wrote
Looks like a communist flag with a portrait of Lenin should be hanging on the wall... Such a dystopic building. I hate it so much. Why couldn't we have a city hall that represents the historic birth of the revolution character of the city.
jhoge t1_jb2xjcr wrote
city hall rocks and I will fight anyone who disagrees
detective_bigfoot t1_jb2y5av wrote
I think people are generally too harsh on brutalism. City hall isn’t even the ugliest building in Boston.
beerpatch86 t1_jb30nmn wrote
I mean, it is ugly, but architecture is kind of an art (well, it can be..)
Brutalism is definitely polarizing but done well can be stunning, especially interiors. Exteriors are either loved or hated, though I have seen plenty of "meh" Brutalism structures. As far as I'm concerned, if you're going to go for something as 'bold' as Brutalism, may as well go all out.
Boston City Hall is awesome from some angles, and a big fat concrete eyesore from others. It's absolutely subjective. Nice photo, op.
Alsp #bringbacktheplazafountains
WhatAmiDoingHere1022 t1_jb356zg wrote
I don’t understand the ugly reference I’m from Providence maybe that’s why. But that building in the pic is bad ass. Idk if there’s like an inside Boston joke about it being ugly but I think it’s dope.
BenKlesc t1_jb3emtj wrote
Ahhh. 1970s industrial design.
asscheeseterps710 t1_jb4gxrw wrote
I like to call Boston a toilet
Ok_Low_1287 t1_jb310ct wrote
It’s the incredibly stupid people who work in that thing. Just hard to believe ..
imoneyswag t1_jb2hxd2 wrote
it's the ugliest building ive ever seen
753UDKM t1_jb2qlrl wrote
Take a look at CCRI in Cranston RI
universal_cynic t1_jb31a1o wrote
It’s all about angles! This is a great one
victoreap t1_jb2eaz9 wrote
If they did some accent painting or a mural it could bring some life to it. It's just so bland
HairWeaveKillers t1_jb2alzu wrote
Some more trees plants or greenery around that area would be nice though