Concrete Changes: Architecture, Politics, and the Design of Boston City Hall

By Anton La Guardia and Anton LaGuardia

Book Overview

From the 1950s to the end of the twentieth century, Boston transformed from a city in freefall into a thriving metropolis, as modern glass skyscrapers sprouted up in the midst of iconic brick rowhouses. After decades of corruption and graft, a new generation of politicians swept into office, seeking to revitalize Boston through large-scale urban renewal projects. The most important of these was a new city hall, which they hoped would project a bold vision of civic participation. The massive Brutalist building that was unveiled in 1962 stands apart--emblematic of the city's rebirth through avant-garde design.

And yet Boston City Hall frequently ranks among the country's ugliest buildings. Concrete Changes seeks to answer a common question for contemporary viewers: How did this happen? In a lively narrative filled with big personalities and newspaper accounts, Brian M. Sirman argues that this structure is more than a symbol of Boston's modernization; it acted as a catalyst for political, social, and economic change.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1625343574
• ISBN13: 9781625343574
• Release Date: March 2018
• Publisher: Bright Leaf
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Heady Insight Into Media From Around The World

Dr. Robert McKenzie's textbook, Comparing Media From Around The World, is a smartly written interactive dissection of four different types of media (newspaper, television, radio and web sites) juxtaposed by eight different countries from around the globe (China, France, Ghana, Lebanon, Mexico, Sweden, the UK and the USA). Not only does the reader receive textbook instruction, but insight into how other countries produce,...