| Custom
House 1847 A great creation of dignity and strength soon to be
mucked up by the Federal Government with a phallic design from architects
Peabody and Sterns. |
Custom House with tower 1915
Because it was owned by the Federal Govenment, the building was not
subject to Boston's 125' height restriction. This sixteen addition
became the city's first skyscraper and "...a shock..." Boy can you say
that again. It looks like a missile shot through the middle of a
Greek Temple! |
Custom House 2000
The Marriott Corporation has turned this fickle finger of fate into
time shares. Now visitors to the city have a birds eye view of the
best
of Boston's buildings from the worst concoction of design since the
dawn of man. |
The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly...IMHO
Bad
and truly ugly. The State Mental Health, Education and Welfare Service
Center. Built in 1970 and acclaimed by some (obviously
friends of the architect), as the "...tour de force demonstrating the sculptural
possibilities of concrete..." this building looks like a crocodile
waiting to swallow the next poor soul who unwittingly stumbles into its
reach. The unfriendly face implies "Don't touch me!" when the visual message
should be comforting and or at least civil. The exterior is further flawed
by the lack of visual clues indicating the front from the back.
Imagine the fright that takes hold of the mentally challenged as they circle
the building trying to find the entrance! This is a bad design for
a building that is intended to serve those in need of assistance and a
good example of architecture inappropriate to its purpose. 
