Concrete Changes

"Concrete Changes is a readable, straightforward account of the history, creation, and reception of Boston's famous City Hall building of the 1960s. Indeed, one of the book's virtues is the clarity of its style and organization, which should appeal to a broad readership."—Daniel M. Abramson, author of Obsolescence: An Architectural History

"Until now, those seeking the story of Boston City Hall had to piece its history together from multiple sources. Sirman provides a narrative explaining the building's inception, completion, and long, troubled existence from the late twentieth century until today. His writing is direct, clear, and jargon-free."—Timothy M. Rohan, author of The Architecture of Paul Rudolph

"An expertly researched, written, organized and presented study, Concrete Changes: Architecture, Politics, and the Design of Boston City Hall is . . . unreservedly recommended."—Midwest Book Review

"Sirman draws effectively from the wealth of scholarship on Boston politics, planning, and architecture and unearths extensive unpublished documents, speeches, contemporary newspaper accounts, and periodical articles . . . With this book in hand, visitors may appreciate all the more Sirman's sound history, intepretations, and descriptions."—The New England Quarterly