Boston City Hall Plaza Tour

Event Description

Boston City Hall Plaza recasts an obsolescent civic space into a verdant and inviting place where “All are Welcome”. For five decades, the plaza accommodated Boston’s largest public gatherings, but this vast expanse lacked everyday amenities, suffered from wind and sun exposure, and included significant barriers to mobility. The new plaza becomes a place that accommodates, welcomes, and celebrates a diverse range of users from all backgrounds, ages, and abilities. The design enhances the site’s architectural legacy while improving urban ecology, reducing heat-island effects, and mitigating stormwater impacts. The plaza provides a variety of programming spaces, including a new City Hall inspired playscape and a new Civic Pavilion building for indoor events.

The tour will begin near the main entrance of the iconic City Hall building, where we will briefly discuss the history of the old neighborhood, the changes that transpired during urban renewal, and the relevance of the plaza before its recent transformation. We will then continue into the main plaza and walk down Hanover Walk towards Congress St. Along the way, we will provide an overview of the key project elements and how they addressed the four guiding design principles: programming, accessibility, sustainability, and architectural legacy. The tour will conclude at the Civic Pavilion building, where we will discuss the building’s design, and its role as a new community meeting space.

Presenters

Mauricio Gomez, ASLA, PLA LEED AP | Landscape Architect, Sasaki

Gina Mosca, NCIDQ, WELL AP | Interior Designer, Sasaki