The brutal reality of brutalism in Boston

Brutalist architecture has its share of detractors, but a renewed push for the preservation of mid-century Modern architecture has helped lead to a resurgence in interest amongst architects, architectural historians and other concerned citizens. The city of Boston, Massachusetts, has its share of notable brutalist structures. Boston’s City Hall, when it was constructed in the midst of an expansive brick plaza in 1968 was immediately derided by numerous people, except for many architects, as incredibly ugly. Yet the Law School at Boston University (the tower in the far left of the photo above) recently was awarded a Citation of Merit by DOCOMOMO for its sensitive restoration. See below for more examples of Boston brutalism.

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Brutalism Is Back? A New Map To Boston’s Monumental Concrete Architecture

By Greg Cook

July 31, 2017