City Hall Plaza (Boston)
Encyclopedia
City Hall Plaza in Boston
, Massachusetts
, is a large, open, unadorned public space in the Government Center area of the city. The architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles designed the plaza in 1962 to accompany Boston's new City Hall
. The multi-level, irregularly-shaped plaza consists of red brick and concrete. As of March 2011, plans are underway to redesign the plaza and adjacent building.
, commissioned by Edward J. Logue
, then of the Boston Redevelopment Authority
. The plaza and City Hall were constructed between 1963 and 1968, on the former site of Scollay Square
, which despite its vibrancy and historical interest, was considered a seedy and undesirable area.
The 1962 design was modeled after Piazza del Campo
in Siena
, Italy.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino
has voiced several ideas for changing the plaza. In 2007, Emerson College
students used the virtual world Second Life
to re-imagine a better City Hall Plaza; the project was sponsored by the Boston Redevelopment Authority
, among others.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, is a large, open, unadorned public space in the Government Center area of the city. The architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles designed the plaza in 1962 to accompany Boston's new City Hall
Boston City Hall
Boston City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Boston, Massachusetts. Architecturally, it is an example of the brutalist style. It was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles...
. The multi-level, irregularly-shaped plaza consists of red brick and concrete. As of March 2011, plans are underway to redesign the plaza and adjacent building.
Design and construction, 1962-1968
The siting of the plaza, the City Hall and other structures in Government Center was the responsibility of I. M. PeiI. M. Pei
Ieoh Ming Pei , commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese American architect, often called a master of modern architecture. Born in Canton, China and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the gardens at Suzhou...
, commissioned by Edward J. Logue
Edward J. Logue
Edward J. "Ed" Logue was an urban planner, public administrator, lawyer, politician, and academic who worked in New Haven, Boston, and New York State....
, then of the Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston Redevelopment Authority
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial developments.The BRA was established by the Boston city council and the Massachusetts legislature in 1957...
. The plaza and City Hall were constructed between 1963 and 1968, on the former site of Scollay Square
Scollay Square
Scollay Square was a vibrant city square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was named for William Scollay, a prominent local developer and militia officer who bought a landmark four-story merchant building at the intersection of Cambridge and Court Streets in 1795...
, which despite its vibrancy and historical interest, was considered a seedy and undesirable area.
The 1962 design was modeled after Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic center of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The Palazzo Pubblico and its Torre del Mangia, as well as various palazzi signorili...
in Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
, Italy.
Life in the plaza, 1968-present
Reaction to the plaza has been mixed. Some praise City Hall Plaza for being cleaner and more desirable than Scollay Square, and for the simple fact that it was built at all-- with the cooperation and compromises necessary of any complex, multi-agency government construction project. Others dislike City Hall Plaza, citing unappealing aesthetics; and saying it does not function well as a space for people, due to cold, wet and wind in winter, and wind, dust, and unrelenting sun and heat in summer. The Project for Public Spaces ranked it at the top of the organization's list of Squares Most Dramatically in Need of Improvement in the United States in 2005.Redesign
Since City Hall Plaza opened in 1968, ideas for improvements to the public space have been put forth by citizens, students, architects, politicians and others.Boston Mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
has voiced several ideas for changing the plaza. In 2007, Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
students used the virtual world Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
to re-imagine a better City Hall Plaza; the project was sponsored by the Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston Redevelopment Authority
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial developments.The BRA was established by the Boston city council and the Massachusetts legislature in 1957...
, among others.
Further reading
- Andrew Ryan. Maligned for decades, City Hall Plaza to get EPA-aided makeover. Boston Globe. Sep 9, 2010. pg. B.3
- A softer City Hall: Architects offer visions for less-austere City Hall Plaza; Young architects offer visions for turning plaza into something a bit more welcoming Boston Globe. Apr 4, 2010. pg. G.1
- Peter J. Howe. Mayor has new spin for City Hall Plaza; Menino wants to explore wind turbine installation. Boston Globe, Sep 29, 2007. pg. A.1.
- Christina Pazzanese. Some small things could pretty up City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Sep 16, 2007. pg. 2.
- Matt Viser. Fount of futility finally runs dry; City Hall Plaza eyesore gets a concrete solution. Boston Globe, June 9, 2006. pg. B.1.
- Jack Thomas. 'I wanted something that would last': At 89, an architect stands by his plan for City Hall after four decades of both condemnation and praise. Boston Globe. October 13, 2004.
- Talk about City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Apr 12, 2003. pg. A.10.
- Thomas C. Palmer Jr. Effort to improve City Hall Plaza gets new life, group expected to deliver recommendations next year. Globe Staff. Boston Globe, Oct 1, 2002. pg. D.1.
- Sarah Schweitzer. An unfulfilled urban promise; Menino resurrects a plan to renovate City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Aug 8, 2002. pg. B.1.
- Robert F. Walsh. Some lessons on upkeep at City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Apr 15, 2002. pg. A.17.
- Improving City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Jul 17, 2000. pg. A.10.
- Anthony Flint. City Hall Plaza to get $27.5M renovation. Boston Globe, Dec 17, 1999. pg. B.3.
- A refuge on City Hall Plaza. Boston Globe, Dec 17, 1999. pg. A.26.
- Anthony Flint. City Hall Plaza redesign is OK'd; modest makeover to be announced. Boston Globe. Boston, Mass.: Dec 15, 1999. pg. A.38.
- Walter Muir Whitehill. Boston: a topographical history, 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1968.
See also
- Brattle Street (Boston, Massachusetts)Brattle Street (Boston, Massachusetts)Brattle Street was a street in Boston, Massachusetts located on the current site of City Hall Plaza, at Government Center.-History:Around 1853 former Virginia slave Anthony Burns worked for "Coffin Pitts, clothing dealer, no.36 Brattle Street."...
- Cornhill, BostonCornhill, BostonCornhill was a street in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th-20th centuries, located on the site of the current City Hall Plaza in Government Center. It was named in 1829; previously it was known as Market Street . In its time, it comprised a busy part of the city near Brattle Street, Court Street...
- Edward J. LogueEdward J. LogueEdward J. "Ed" Logue was an urban planner, public administrator, lawyer, politician, and academic who worked in New Haven, Boston, and New York State....
- Scollay SquareScollay SquareScollay Square was a vibrant city square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was named for William Scollay, a prominent local developer and militia officer who bought a landmark four-story merchant building at the intersection of Cambridge and Court Streets in 1795...
- Urban designUrban designUrban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
- Village greenVillage greenA village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
External links
- Project for Public Spaces
- Kallman McKinnell & Wood Architects
- One citizen's hope for the barren wasteland of Boston City Hall Plaza. YouTube, 2007.
- Re-Imagining Boston City Hall Plaza Using Second Life. YouTube, 2007.
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtKh0wQ3i5Q
- Kevin McCrea exposes Mayor Menino giving away 300 million dollars at City Hall Plaza. YouTube, 2009.
- Urban Toronto. Discussion thread about Boston's City Hall.
- Flickr