mid century modern architecture boston

Chamberlain Cottage // 1940

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Nestled into the forests of Wayland, Massachusetts, one of the most significant examples of early Modernist architecture, the Chamberlain Cottage, represents the European Bauhaus style adapted to the American landscape and New England vernacular. Designed in 1940 and completed in 1941, the house was commissioned by Harvard Economics professor, Henry Chamberlain and his wife, Margareth, as a weekend retreat from Cambridge. Professor Chamberlain commissioned Marcel Breuer and his mentor, Walter Gropius, then Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, to design a home with a specific request for a screened porch similar to Gropius’ residence in nearby Lincoln. For the Chamberlain Cottage, the design responds to the uneven terrain and the potential for river flooding by two distinct parts: a grounded stone base and a cantilevered wooden volume above. The lower stone level functioned as a foundation while providing storage for a canoe and housing a fireplace that extends vertically through the structure; with the upper wooden volume containing living spaces. Despite its compact size for weekend visits, the upper level is well planned and includes a living space, kitchen, a single bedroom, and the porch. Due to its small scale and siting, the one-bedroom cottage was not easily adaptable for modern living. After falling into disrepair in the 1980s and ’90s, the home was purchased by architects Sidney R. Bowen and Angela Watson, who expanded the structure over the course of a decade to its current size of 3,742 square feet. It has been occupied and lovingly maintained by later owners. It remains a private residence.

Lyman Park Offices // 1959

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Mid-Century Modern commercial architecture is often maligned for its car-centric and unadorned designs, but the Lyman Park Offices on Boylston Street in Brookline, Massachusetts, are some of the finest office buildings constructed in Brookline in the 20th century. The two office buildings were built on the site of the Theodore Lyman estate and were built at a time Brookline saw rapid commercialization along the Boylston Street corridor. Designed by the firm of Salsberg & LeBlanc, the Lyman Park Offices are landmark examples of the International style in the commercial form in Brookline. Built of steel and glass, the buildings exhibit spandrels above each floor level, enhancing the strong horizontal emphasis of the design.

Stone & Webster Office Building // 1975

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Stone & Webster, established in 1893 by MIT graduates Charles Stone and Edwin Webster, was a national leader in electrification and power generation, and provided services in engineering, construction, environmental remediation, infrastructure, and plant operation for industrial clients. After the Boston Redevelopment Authority acquired and demolished sections of South Station for redevelopment, Stone & Webster decided to relocate their offices to this new site. Los Angeles-based architectural firm Welton Becket & Associates, designed the office building in a late International-style, which serves as a counter to the masonry and classically designed, South Station nearby. The steel frame with metal and glass skin and boxy form are effective at delineating the building from its neighbor, but is not pedestrian-friendly at the ground level as the raised ground floor is lined at the sidewalk by concrete steps. The building is now largely leased to Fidelity Investments.

Former Newton Savings Bank Building // 1962

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Opened in 1962 as the Newton Savings Bank, this unique Mid-20th century Modern banking structure showcases the forms and materials not conceived in previous decades. The building is located on the Newton Centre Green, adjacent to the former Newton Centre Methodist Episcopal Church, and provides a sharp contrast between the stone building in the Romanesque style and more contemporary forms. The bank was designed by Bastille and Halsey Associates, established in 1953 by partners, Robert Adams Bastille and William Ashbaugh Halsey. Now occupied by a Citizens Bank with professional offices also inside, the building exhibits precast concrete “zipper” banding between floors that are broken up by solid brick masses in the facade. What do you think of these corporate modern buildings?

Westminster Court Housing // 1967

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As populations boomed in the decades following the conclusion of WWII and suburbs drew wealthier residents to single-family neighborhoods, city governments were desperate to keep tax dollars in city limits. As a result, many cities instituted a policy called Urban Renewal, where neighborhoods (often with higher percentages of minority or immigrant populations) and historic housing were demolished as a form of “slum clearance” and modern housing centered around the automobile sprouted up in their place. The Washington Park section of Roxbury in Boston was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the 1960s as part of a series of neighborhood plans by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. This housing development, called Westminster Court, was developed on one of the new Urban Renewal parcels in Washington Park. Designed by famed modernist architect Carl Koch, the Mid-Century Modern buildings were constructed in modular units to cut costs and expedite construction time. The buildings utilize precast frames with contrasting exterior panels of brick, exposed aggregate concrete, and aluminum. While many dislike these buildings, it is important to understand the history behind them and how they are part of the complex history of many cities.

330 Beacon // 1959

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While this apartment building is completely out of scale with its surroundings in the Back Bay neighborhood, it is one of my favorite Modernist apartment buildings in the neighborhood it its own right. Hear me out! 330 Beacon was built in 1959-1960 as a seventeen story (plus penthouse) apartment building designed by modernist architect Hugh Stubbins & Associates. The tower is largely constructed of red brick similar to early 20th century apartment houses, and exhibits an undulating facade, possibly as a nod to the prevalence of 19th century projecting bays which the neighborhood is so known for. The fenestration (window placement and proportions) is also interesting as it differs on every third floor, the staggering breaks up the monotony of many similar apartment blocks built in this time period. Many of you likely will not love this building, especially after knowing that it replaced five stunning townhouses, but I love to show how New England architecture has modernized and changed based on ever-evolving tastes and housing demands.