Boston City Hall is iconic, despite strong beliefs on all sides about how it looks.
Built in 1968, City Hall is an internationally known example of brutalism, a style that uses concrete and was born out of the desire for increased civic engagement. Its appearance generated controversy over the years among residents and the elected officials who work there. In 2023, it was ranked as one of the ugliest buildings in the country.
But Boston is now moving to protect the historic structure.
The city’s Landmarks Commission voted last week to protect the building’s architectural integrity, giving it a landmark status.
”I would say of this era, of the era concrete modernism, this was the most influential building built in the United States,” explains Mark Pasnik, a Wentworth professor.
Pasnik is coauthor the book “Heroic,” which looks at City Hall and other local examples of brutalism, or …