CultureNOW | A Celebration of Culture & Community

David Fixler discusses the John Hancock Tower built in the 1940s, designed by Harry Cobb. His solution to build a high rise next to historic buildings in Boston was traumatizing to build, but successful in its outcome. 

David Fixler talks about the original project of the Government Center Building by Paul Rudolph which included a tower - and the resulting Brutalist, "amphipomorphic", ribbed-corduroy concrete, sculptural tour-de-force mental health building.

David Fixler contextualizes and responds to the usual criticisms the City Hall Plaza by describing it as a public park space plaza, a paved urban space intentionally conveying certain grandeur. He also points out the changes that Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles made to the original IM Pei design to better connect the space to the city. 

David Fixler talks about Paul Rudolph's Blue Cross/Blue Shield Building, its precast panels and the scaling of the windows as a way of contextualizing the building. 

David Fixler talks about the City Hall's history beginning with the competition held in 1961, which Kallmann McKinnell & Wood won, and about the origins of Brutalism and its crude, unapologetic architectural language.

David Fixler discusses Modernism in Boston during the 1950s.

Architect David Fixler discusses Six Moon Hill. Six Moon Hill is a residential community dwelling that was designed by The Architects' Collaborative (TAC) and is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. With a focus on collaboration rather than individualism, the TAC approach was applied to all aspects of the community: design, development, construction, and operation. 

Architect David Fixler discusses the upswing of designing Modern Houses during the middle of the 19th century outside of Boston. 

Architect David Fixler discusses Walter Gropius's design influence on Harvard's campus. 

Architect David Fixler discusses Alvar Aalto's Baker House, which he designed for MIT. Aalto's agenda for Baker House was peculiar and site responsive, in that it mirrored the Charles River and the industrial buildings across the river.