Reading City Halls

Each city hall (Rathaus) holds a story about what lasts, what changes, and what a community decides to carry forward. Some are built with permanence in mind, standing as anchors of civic memory. Others adapt to changing needs, serving governance through practicality rather than permanence. This project explores city halls in Würzburg, Nuremberg, St. Augustine, and Hastings, asking how their forms reflect both purpose and meaning. By learning to observe these buildings closely, we begin to understand how our own city halls express the identity, values, and time-bound choices of the places we live.