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Is the Bad Economy Good for Preservation?July 1st, 2009
–Peter H. Miller, president, Restore Media, LLC Yes? No? Maybe? Comment! Leave a ReplyModern Landscapes: Are They Worth Preserving?June 16th, 2009 The broad brick plaza in front of Boston City Hall – one of the nation’s best known Brutalist buildings – was designed as a visual connector between the traditional brick buildings of Boston’s past and the concrete modernism exemplified by the new structure. Efforts to move City Hall may result in the loss of the building and plaza. Photo: Sam Sweezy
–Hugh C. Miller, FAIA, former chief historical architect, U.S. Park Service Yes? No? Maybe? Comment! 4 Responses to “Modern Landscapes: Are They Worth Preserving?”Leave a ReplyWhen You Think ‘Green,’ Should You Still See Red?May 20th, 2009“It’s time for historic preservationists to unite with the green building community, earn their respect for our culture and draw upon their expertise to figure out together how to save our historic building stock.” –Ralph DiNola, Associate AIA, LEED AP Yes? No? Maybe? Comment! 3 Responses to “When You Think ‘Green,’ Should You Still See Red?”
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janiceenberg 
Rudy 
Many of these landscapes are tortured designs not worth saving, like that awful plaza in the photo. The building is even worse. Come on. Can anything be uglier?
I think the general thinking is, if something is old it is worth preserving. This is not always the case.
I think one Brutalist piece of architecture is, in fact, uglier than the Boston City Hall, and that, aptly enough maybe, is the building housing the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. It’s not only an eyesore, it’s dirty and grimy. It doesn’t even look good in the sun!
Wait a second, guys. This is a Web site about preserving and restoring old buildings and about the value of living in the midst of prior eras’ choices. As long as they function well and as long as their building systems can be updated to make them more energy efficient, Brutalist buildings should be preserved and restored right alongside their cousins from other times–maybe not lovingly but at least respectfully.