ABSTRACT
Town Hall buildings invite controversy. They require significant public expenditure, their procurement, design and construction are the subject of constant political debate and their symbolic role is to represent increasingly diverse communities. On 2 January 1960, John F Collins took over as the mayor of Boston. His election the previous year had been one of the biggest political surprises in the city’s history, but years of corruption scandals had created an environment of apathy and resentment, which had swept him to power. In lieu of the grassy French hillside, the base of the city hall was built up in the traditional red brick of Boston’s historic buildings, with the brick paving of the new civic square flowing into the building at ground level and stepping up into the concrete structure, to accommodate the public access areas below. In contrast to many radical city hall designs, from Hilversum to Toronto, Boston has never won the affection of its citizens.
