I think Boston City Hall is interesting to look at (One contemporary critic described as looking like “an Aztec Tomb”), but terrible to use. I’ve heard many complaints abouts its lack of space, dead-end hallways, and poor organization. I think of it as another “wasted space” building, with too many places that have pointless high ceilings, yet not enough floor space.
And that’s a criticism independent of its Brutalist style, which I’m not a fan of.
Boston City Hall looks like where hopes of good government go to die.
The complex as a whole did spawn a good song.
Well we’ve got a lot, a lot, a lot of hard work today We got to rock at the Government Center To make the secretaries feel better When they put the stamps on the letter
I’ve played a lot of Fallout 4, and I’ve never seen that building. (The brick building in the background, however is packed with super mutants!) It reminds me of a grander version of a courthouse I’ve visited that the locals all claimed was ugly.
Every time I see Boston City Hall and it’s been a while, it takes my breath away in its hideousness. It’s so grotesque that I must forget to preserve myself.
The first time was to get a marriage license (big mistake).
The second time was to pay a traffic ticket.
The third was to watch the 2006 World Cup final on a huge screen set up on City Hall Plaza, with my France going up against thousands of Italy fans from the North End.
The fourth time was to see Ronnie Spector play at City Hall Plaza. That made up for the other three times.
Other than that, I avoid the place like the plague.
Exactly what someone whose mind, from childhood, has been warped by growing up beneath the oppressive shadow of brutalist architecture would say.
So I guess it checks out.
But seriously, I think it looks pretty good. Only the reddish-brown brickwork at the base detracts somewhat from the overall effect. Like if they built the Lincoln Memorial on top of an exposed pile of rubble.