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The most ribbetting architecture in Boston
By adamg on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 12:19pm
Matthew Ireland ponders the Government Service Center downtown - the brutalist building near the brutalist City Hall that houses state mental-health offices and which never got its intended tower.
Copyright Matthew Ireland.
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Comments
Don't know anyone who calls it that
"The Lindemann" or "the Hurley Building", probably dependent on which Secretariat you worked in.
it's true that few call it that . . .
but it's the name for the buildings as originally designed, and is still the correct name for the entire complex. Hurley and Linndemann are two separate, but connected, buildings.
Perfect example of design not fitting function
A building to house a mental health center that has jagged concrete walls (very threatening, statement of "keep away") and menacing frogs that even those who aren't paranoid schizophrenics can't miss. What person dealing with mental health issues would feel comfortable getting near that building?
Interesting history
Like most big Boston projects of the 1950s and 60s, they had good intentions which were ill-fated. The designer of the building thought an abnormal design and facade would provide some comfort to those who have difficulty understanding the world around them. The idea would be there'd be some kinship with the building for people with mental health illnesses.
It was a horrible idea, much like the destruction of the West End, etc. But in all these cases there was a belief that new technology and architecture could greatly improve Boston.
"menacing" frog?
Well, one could see it that way, but most folks miss the frog entirely--even those who walk past this facade on a regular basis and security guards who work there. I can't tell you how many times I've had to point this feature out (and even then, folks often don't see it right away; "no, over there" "Oh...ah, now I see it." ;)
Brutalist design
That design had to chip and chiseled all by hand, the brick layers had to recall retired brickies to complete it. Rumored that the footprint is supposed to be the outline of the state.
that frog!!! well done
that frog!!! well done
Way Uglier than City Hall
It is really depressing to walk past it as there are no signs of life. The built in benches are blocked off by chain link fences and the entrances are hidden and unwelcoming. It is an ugly color. There is a nearly deserted park in the center of it which provides a short cut between Staniford Street and New Chardon Street if you can figure out how to get in and out.
Thanks for the chance to vent. It's not often that I actually hate a building, but this one is ugly
to its soul.
Buildings
I like this, City Hall, and the BU Law Building. (Boston's trifecta of Brutalism.) They are different, interesting, somewhat unique. I don't consider them "good" architecture and I wouldn't want more of them.
But, for the past 30 years everything new has looked the same so these three buildings are somewhat of a pallet cleanser.
Hidden Park
That hidden park is populated by the homeless and opiate addicted that clearly have found the way in and out. The entire area in general swarms with them.
To each his own but I ...
... personally love this building. City Hall as well. They have character and style.
What I don’t love are the chrome and glass boxes going up everywhere. Talk about oooogly!
Ugly is easy
I agree that the chrome and glass boxes are mostly ugly -- and the skinny glass shards even worse (downtown Boston is starting to look like a pile of broken glass).
But this brutalist crap is even worse -- it's all ugly.
In general, it's a lot easier to design something that's ugly (or formulaic-schlock-pretty) than it is to design something that's original and truly beautiful. That's why you see so much ugly crap: most architects lack talent (true in every field, actually) so they try to redefine their turds as hip or something.
Was the parking lot at the
Was the parking lot at the corner of Staniford and Merrimac supposed to be a landscaped park?
Thanks for featuring!
Thanks, Adam, for featuring my photo. Rudolph's Lindemann and Hurley buildings never fail to draw strong opinions. But there are a few more positive ones than usual on this post. Perhaps brutalism really is making a comeback ; )
Working in the Hurley Bldg
There was once talk about building something different in its place. The engineering firm laughed at us and said that the cost to remove or take down would be more than building a new structure.
Turn it upside down...
And it's "Deep Thought".