In the eyes of a Bostonian, the Ferdinand building embodies an era of a once-thriving business district in Dudley Square, where the revered "Ferdinand's" furniture store would pull in customers from all over New England. However, for the last 40 or so years, the building has stood derelict, creating a rupture in the neighborhood of Roxbury.
Until now. When Boston Public Schools recently made the decision to move their administration to the square, Mecanoo and Sasaki Associates saw an opportunity for the old building to help sew the area back together.
The Dudley Municipal Center project took three existing buildings in the Dudley Station Historic District—the 1895 Ferdinand Building, the 1888 Curtis Building, and the 1890 Waterman Building—and wove them to create an entirely new landmark. The project presented an opportunity to centralize programs that had previously been spread out, including retail and a much-needed public space that finally addressed the flow of people from the adjacent 110-year-old transit hub. The street is invited into the triangle between the structures by tracing the historic rail track, forming what is now the new "Dudley Square."
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Article on Architizer by Alex Garkavenko