OverUnder

Docomomo US just announced its 2025 Modernism in America Awards, which include an advocacy award for Boston City Hall! Following this year's landmarking of the structure, the award recognizes decades of efforts by architects, preservationists, municipal leaders, and historians to change the narrative around its public reception. OverUnder joins friends at Utile, Boston Preservation Alliance, the Boston Landmarks Commission, the Boston Society for Architecture, and many others in being acknowledged by the awards jury for our shared efforts on behalf of the building.

Since 2022, OverUnder has led the team working with the City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department (CDD) and a team of talented consultants to develop the first Citywide Urban Design Guidelines. We are excited to announce that this report has been published and shared with public!

“Shaping Our City: Citywide Urban Design Guidelines for Cambridge" is meant to help maintain and strengthen Cambridge's character as a beautiful, diverse, livable, culturally rich, and pedestrian-friendly city. The document reflects the City’s vision for a beautiful, sustainable, and equitable public realm. It will be used by the Planning Board and City staff to review ongoing project, by landowners, developers, and their designers, and by other City departments when considering new street, sidewalk, and open space projects. Check out the full report using the link in our bio!

Principal Mark Pasnik joined pianist Jonathan Senik at Boston City Hall for an evening dedicated to “Decoding Shostakovich,” an event sponsored by the Boston Symphony Orchestra related to its series of concerts on the Russian composer’s work. Senik’s performance included twenty-four Shostakovich preludes, echoing through City Hall’s vast lobby. This was followed by Mark’s talk on the legacy of the Russian avant-garde and brutalism in relationship to Shostakovich’s lifetime. A sold-out crowd of 120 joined in for the music and talk.

In a related event just prior, mayor Michelle Wu launched Preservation Week and gave a public shout-out to Mark, thanking him and Heroic co-author Chris Grimley for continuing “to draw our attention to the meaning and significance of this building.” She reminded the crowd: “I think everyone here knows how much I love this building—that I will always take every opportunity to nerd out over its architecture and defend its beauty…. This building is a symbol of our city’s identity and civic life.”

Photos by Mike Mejia

The South End house makes . Many thanks to .brillon for making it happen. Link in bio.