BOSTON GOVERNMENT SERVICE CENTER MUG

Price: $25.00 USD

The Design

Designed to promote the preservation of this iconic brutalist masterpiece, these 11-ounce ceramic mugs feature the elevation of the building at the corner of Merrimac and Staniford Streets.

A portion of this purchase price supports The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture’s work to inspire people to discover and appreciate the work of Late Modernist architect & educator Paul Rudolph. Your purchase also supports the preservation of Paul Rudolph’s buildings for future generations to enjoy.

The Inspiration

Paul Rudolph was the coordinating architect for the Boston Government Service Center located in Boston, Massachusetts from 1962-1971. He was assisted by M.A. Dyer, Desmond & Lord, and Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson & Abbott. The structure was designed in contrast to the City Hall a few blocks away and inspired by the idea of an amphitheater that would allow citizens to experience civic dramas unfold. Rudolph viewed the grandiose and monumental quality of the structure as appropriate to the aims of the Great Society.

The building's exterior and interior surfaces make extensive use of Rudolph's signature ribbed, bush-hammered concrete (aka “corduroy concrete”), first employed in his earlier Yale Art and Architecture Building. This building's forms mingle the rectilinearity of the Yale design with extravagant curved forms like those in Rudolph's Endo Laboratories building on Long Island. Most of the curves are in the baroque, extravagant Lindemann section.

Details

  • Ceramic

  • 3.8” h x 3.2” diameter; 11 oz.

  • Hand wash recommended; Dishwasher and microwave safe.

  • Made in the USA

Shipping

Domestic and International shipping is available through the United States Postal Service. Shipping options and cost are available during checkout based upon the desired service and the shipping destination.