The Concrete Era of Boston City - Research Paper Example

?The Concrete Era of Boston Every has some unique feature, which comes to the top layer of our memory when we think about it. Boston, the largest city in New England is well known for its amazing historical structures, beautiful skyline and rich culture. The "New Boston" architecture relies heavily on concrete. This material is simple but sustainable reflecting the public virtue of the Bostonians. While most modern cities rely on several new materials for architecture, Boston retains its ethnic charm and new world modernism together by means of its concrete buildings. Though there are several other unique features for the city like music and food, its skyline filled with enormous tall concrete buildings is its trademark. All the major landmarks of the Boston city like the Boston City Hall, Government Center, the Holyoke Center, Children's Hospital Complex, Christian Science Church Center and Design Research Building have been build using concrete in between 1950 and 1970. The history of the city is intertwined among the construction of these landmark sites. Boston's 20th century history starts with the James M. Curley era, the mayor who administered the city for four terms (Curley, 1957). The two World Wars and the Great Depression of 1929 left the city like a Ghost town with dilapidated buildings, ruined government offices and forest like parks. Boston never received the allotted payouts a city of its size and importance should have rightly received in the Curley period. His innovative policies created a lot of clash between him and the financial establishments leading to his political decline (O'Connor, 1993). He was followed by Maurice J. Tobin. The aftermath of the World War II had left several industries surviving out of war contracts in dilemma. He was not able to handle the growing demands, leading way for Curley to be reselected again in 1945. But Boston's Chamber of Commerce, banks and Real Estate Board simply could not bear this. They joined hands with the leading firms of the city like General and Gillette to dismiss him on a mail fraud in 1947. The era of John Hynes in 1949, paved a strong foundation to the city's "Concrete Chapter". He utilized the divisions between the Irish Catholics and the Protestants in the town and promised to create a unified and bright future through new reforms. He started it with tax reforms and initialized various measures like the Freedom Trail Project to improve the relationship with locals. But, many challenges still remained as Boston was one of the oldest municipalities in the United States. Real reforms started to take place during the period of John F. Collins who followed Hynes. Several big architects like Le Corbusier and Charles Luckman started to work on various projects in the city. The Prudential Center was the first building to be build during the Hynes, Collins period using glass and steel mainly. Everybody expected the other buildings to follow the same pattern. But surprisingly, concrete considered as an ugly material by many took over the architecture of the city completely. The Government Center and the Boston City Hall built in 1968 was described as "one of the handsomest buildings of the time" by New York Times. I. M. Pei who constructed it designed it in such a way it had room for all administrative offices under one roof. The design for the City hall was selected though an open competition. The design of the Hall was so modern that it evoked many protests from the local architects as well as various other people who felt it did not suit the city's historical importance. The winner Gerhard Kallmann, Noel McKinnell, and Edward Knowles used concrete to create an authenticity for the building. The City Hall was simply described as "Mycenaean or Aztec overtones" by Walter Muir Whitehill. Most of the City Halls major designs like the concrete structures which doubled as sunscreens and top huge overhanging were Le Corbusier's idea (S. Southworth & M. Southworth, 2008). This concrete structure re-defined the Boston's face in the architectural world. Several new buildings started to appear using concrete. Nearly one hundred and fifty-four mega structures were erected in between 1950 to 1970. Concrete got a new identification as a splendid and dignified building material used to create astonishing spaces rather than being looked upon as a cheap material (Rudolph, 120, 1954). The Harvard Holyoke Center known as the "Gray Elepahant" is another significant concrete building in Boston. Designed by Jose Luis Sert, the Holyoke Center occupies a full city block. It serves as a symbol of modern concrete architecture with its unique sandwich panels and random window patterns. This concrete masterpiece surrounded by traditional brick buildings served as a symbol of rising modernism. The Center is now used as a retail outlet to sell items from university museums. The Christian Science Church also constructed by I. M. Pei is another major masterpiece. Spread over thirty acres, the project is defined as the "most serene architectural experience in the city". Build around the original Mother church without damaging it, the various buildings, two pools, houses, hostels and shops everything proves urbanism and eco-friendliness can co-exist with each other. Imagine a row of concrete cylinders with glass frames in the middle. It doesn’t make any aesthetic sense. But, the Design Research building designed by Benjamin Thompson made this structure a marvellous work space suitable for intellectuals. The multi-functionality of the building paves way for it to be used in several versatile ways. The glass walls simply jut out of the concrete pillars making reshuffling them possible at any time. This is the most modern concrete building in the Boston city. The Children's Hospital Medical Complex is another beautiful concrete marvel designed with futuristic approach. The building was created with a sharp cornice or a turned corner to give it a dramatic effect. The Architects Collaborative groups build it in 1968. Ever since, it has served several children's health issues. The aesthetic look of the building is considered very futuristic for the time it was build. These are just a few prominent building in the city. Scores of other buildings were also built using concrete in the city following their success. Conclusion The concrete era redefined Boston's face from an economically struggling, deteriorating town into a modern blooming city. These iconic buildings drew in ample investments which helped in the industrial growth of the region. The projects itself took years to complete and provided ample job opportunities for several workers for nearly two decades, paving way for the better life of that generation as well as their children. Sadly, these historical buildings are now being torn out or re-decorated to change their face. These buildings are not just concrete structures. They are the sources which provided livelihood for our parent and grandparent generations. Modern day architects use little or no concrete in any major projects on the urban country side. These beautiful buildings which defined the sky line of Boston for nearly 4 decades are now being demolished or altered without any idea of their heritage or basic structure. Recently an exhibit called "Heroic" showcased nearly 200 esteemed building from Boston and its neighbourhoods and explained their speciality. These structures showcase what can only be build out of concrete (Campbell, 2012). The aim of the exhibit was to gain public support against demolishing or re-cladding these buildings. The future generation will come across several new building materials in their life. These concrete structures might get demolished in the process of urbanisation quickly. But, they will continue to exist in the form of photographs and records for the future generation to get a glimpse of Boston’s 20th century concrete history. References 1. Campbell, Robert. "The Beauty of Concrete." Boston.com, 3 January 2010. 29 October 2012. . 2. Curley, James Michael. “I'd Do It Again: A Record of All My Uproarious Years”. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1957. 3. O'Connor, Thomas H. “Building a New Boston: Politics and Urban Renewal, 1950 – 1970.” Boston: Northeastern UP, 1993. 4. Rudolph, Paul M. "The Changing Philosophy of Architecture." Architectural Forum 101, 1954. 5. Southworth, Susan, and Michael Southworth. AIA Guide to Boston. CT: Globe Pequot, 2008. 6. Whitehill, Walter M., and Lawrence W. Kennedy. “Boston: A Topographical History.”Cambridge: Belknap of Harvard UP, 2000. Print. Read More