Local Boston news outlet WBUR has offered an insight into the multi-million dollar operation to repair and renew Boston City Hall. The Brutalist icon, now 55 years old, was recently allocated $80 million to address ongoing issues.
The most extensive renewal project to be undertaken in the building is the removal and replacement of the original hot water pipes dating from the 1960s. As WBUR reports, many of the pipes are inaccessible and completely encased in concrete.
"We've actually had to core into that concrete just to be able to repair and actually identify the leak," Boston’s commissioner of property management Eamon Shelton told the outlet. As a result, the city has budgeted $13.5 million for the pipes project alone.
Other repair and renewal projects include the replacement of all lights in the building with energy-efficient LEDs, plans to install better-insulated windows, and Sasaki-led upgrades to the surrounding Boston City Hall Plaza.
WBUR’s reporting also presented the diverse range of views on the building shared by both Boston residents and political leaders. Former mayor Tom Menino once proposed selling off the “unfriendly” and “cold” building, while current mayor Michelle Wu described the building as “an architectural treasure.”
"It's always easier to create something new, or put money into a new announcement," Wu said in a recent interview reported by WBUR, "rather than do the more boring or simple hidden tasks of regular maintenance to make sure that things can last longer in the long run.”
6 Comments
Boston City Hall - a disaster from day one - remove it. It has been a financial black hole from the beginning for all architects, engineers and contractors associated with it from the beginning. It has always been a poor solution to the space needs of the client. It is a wonderful sculpture (Corbu-lite) - lousy architecture. Since tearing it down would be troublesome simply disconnect all utilities and fill it with crushed pavement. Construct a new city hall around the colossal carbuncle. Hold an international competition.
Fuzzying-up the Boston City Hall plaza with trees, benches etc. is a REALLY dopey idea. The ONLY value of this building is as a sculpture so to obscure any clear view for the pedestrian is to ruin a world-class work of art. Leave the plaza as a plaza. We need great spaces.
The typology of urban spaces has seemingly devolved into an over saturation of landscaped curvilinear pathways, excessive planting, dog runs, children's playground furniture, etc. The notion of a truly urban space or plaza has become anathema. Could a Seagram's plaza, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Campo, etc., be considered, proposed, let alone approved?
The park design dogma to "activate" the hell out of everything is very strong at this moment.
I really can't think of any open public space in the USA that isn't being packed to the gills with single-use doodads like doggie pooping parks, splash pads, cafe buildings, etc
ie: "activation"
Some people actually enjoy their city hall...
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