A corner view of the Hurley Building—an integral part of of the Boston Government Service Center, designed by Paul Rudolph. Recent proposals to demolish all or part of the building are to be presented at next week’s meeting in Boston—and you’re invited to attend. Image courtesy of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, photograph by G. E. Kidder Smith
The Boston Government Service Center—one of Paul Rudolph’s largest and most multifaceted urban designs—is threatened. The state has proposed selling-off an integral part of the complex (the Hurley Building) to a developer—and they’ve recently released a report showing various alternatives for developing the site.
ACTION ALERT FOR NEXT WEEK:
On Thursday, February 13th, there will be a meeting at which the options will be presented—and you are welcome to the program and discussion (see meeting info at bottom of this post).
Three of the four proposed alternatives would demolish different portions of the Hurley Building, with complete demolition as the fourth option. The report shows no option for “full preservation”/“no demolition.” Also, all the proposals include filling-in a large part of the pedestrian plaza.
Some observers are concerned that the state-sponsored report gives short shrift to the Hurley Building as a significant and integral part of the overall design—and gives greater importance of the other parts of the complex (so as to under-value the Hurley Building.)
The meeting, “HISTORIC RESOURCES: BOSTON GOVERNMENT SERVICES CENTER—HISTORY IN THE UNMAKING” is sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects’ Historic Resource Committee, and they describe it as follows:
The Boston Government Services Center is especially well known for its associations with Paul Rudolph and Edward Logue and its assertive role in the later stages of Boston’s Government Center development, which had been conceived during the mid-1950s, developed by the BRA and codified by a ca. 1961 master plan by I.M. Pei and Partners. The HRC program will introduce the preservation report Bruner/Cott Architects prepared for the Commonwealth’s Division of Capital Assets Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) as part of their preparation for continued development at the site.
TAKE ACTION: REINFORCE THE CASE FOR PRESERVATION!
Please join us at Thursday’s meeting in Boston: your presence will show the support for preservation of this great artwork and important building. Full meeting info is below—but you must RSVP to attend (and there’s a link to do so.)
Sign our petition: Save the Boston Government Service Center HERE - and share it online with all of your friends!
MEETING INFORMATION
NAME OF EVENT:
HISTORIC RESOURCES: BOSTON GOVERNMENT SERVICES CENTER—HISTORY IN THE UNMAKING
DATE & TIME:
Thursday, February 13, 2020 — 8:00 AM -to- 9:30 AM
TO ATTEND:
The meeting is Free and Open-To-The-Public—but you must RSVP (see below)
TO RSVP:
RSVP on the event page, HERE
LOCATION:
Boston Society of Architects - BSA SPACE 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA
DIRECTIONS & ACCESSIBILITY:
Directions and visitor info can be found HERE
EVENT WEB PAGE:
The official announcement of the event can be found HERE