Boston City Hall Plaza facts for kids
City Hall Plaza is a big, open public space in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located in the Government Center part of the city. The plaza was designed in 1962 by a group of architects called Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles. It was built to go along with Boston's new City Hall building. The plaza has many levels and is made of red brick and concrete. The Government Center subway station is right underneath the plaza. You can find its entrance at the southwest corner.
History of the Plaza
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The idea for the plaza and City Hall came from I. M. Pei, a famous architect. He was asked to help plan the whole Government Center area. The plaza and City Hall were built between 1963 and 1968. They were built where an old area called Scollay Square used to be. Scollay Square was lively but some people thought it was a bit run-down. Other streets like Brattle Street and Cornhill were also removed. Two old buildings from Cornhill, called the Sears' Crescent and Sears' Block, were saved. They now face the plaza's southern side.
The design of City Hall Plaza in 1962 was inspired by Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy.
People have had different feelings about the plaza. Some liked it because it was cleaner than Scollay Square. They were happy it was built at all, given how many groups had to work together. An architecture critic named Ada Louise Huxtable even called it "one of the best urban spaces of the 20th century." She said it helped Boston's Government Center become one of the world's great city spaces.
However, others didn't like City Hall Plaza. They felt it was too empty and didn't handle bad weather well. It could be cold and windy in winter, and hot and dusty in summer. One group even called it one of the "Squares Most Dramatically in Need of Improvement in the United States" in 2005.
A fountain was part of the plaza's first design. It was at the northwest corner. But it had to be turned off in 1977 because water was leaking into the subway tunnel below. In 2006, the fountain was covered with concrete. In 2010, a group built a "Cancer Garden of Hope" at the northeast corner of the plaza.
Plans for Improvement
Since the plaza opened in 1968, many people have suggested ways to make it better. These ideas came from citizens, students, architects, and politicians. In the early 2000s, a famous musician named Yo-Yo Ma suggested building a music garden. This idea didn't happen in Boston, but a similar garden was built in Toronto.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino also had ideas for improving the plaza. In 2007, students from Emerson College used a virtual world to imagine new designs. This project was supported by the Boston Redevelopment Authority. A study in 2011 suggested making the plaza "greener" with more plants. In 2014, some landscape architecture students proposed a full redesign.
In 2015, the city asked the public for ideas to "Re-invent City Hall Plaza." Later that year, the city made some small changes. They added artificial grass, picnic tables, and lawn chairs to make the space more welcoming. But some critics felt these changes were not enough. They believed a bigger redesign was needed. A plan in 2016 for a ferris wheel and other fun things didn't happen.
Work began in 2011 to redesign the plaza and the Government Center subway station. The new subway station opened in March 2016 after two years of building. More improvements, like new plants and easier access, were finished in 2017.
A year-long study called "Rethink City Hall" was completed in 2017. It suggested big changes for both City Hall and the plaza. In 2018, a seasonal beer garden called "The Patios" opened. It was expanded in 2019.
In June 2019, the city announced a big $70 million project. The goal is to turn the plaza into a "People's Plaza." This new plaza will be easy for everyone to use and will be more friendly to the environment. It will also have important updates to make sure it's safe for many years. The plans were made by Sasaki Associates. Construction on this project started in 2020.
Public Events
For a long time, Boston Common was used for big public events. This included a peace rally in 1969 with 100,000 people. But these large events caused damage to the park. So, city officials decided to move many future events to the paved City Hall Plaza.
Many events are held on City Hall Plaza every year. These include the Boston Calling Music Festival (from 2013 to 2016) and the Big Apple Circus. Other popular events are The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, the Boston Pride Festival, and the African Festival of Boston. You can also find Boston GreenFest, Boston Techjam, and the Puerto Rican Festival of Massachusetts here. The finish line for the Hub on Wheels bike ride is also on the plaza.
Sometimes, special events happen on the plaza. These have included Boston's 350th birthday party and art shows like Strandbeest. Big rallies for sports teams like the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins are also held here. Political protests, outdoor concerts, and food festivals have also taken place. There was even a giant 25-foot-tall statue of King Tut on display.
From December 2016 to February 2017, the plaza had an outdoor skating path and a holiday market. This was part of an event called "Boston Winter." It offered skating lessons and themed skating events. "Boston Winter" happened again the next year. But it didn't return in December 2018 because of the big renovation plans for the plaza.
Images for kids
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City Hall Plaza in 2009
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Strandbeest by Theo Jansen, 2015
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Big Apple Circus, 2016
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Trees planted in 2016 during subway station work
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Skating track at Boston Winter, 2016
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Boston City Hall Plaza lit up for GreenFest
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HubWeek, 2017
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Hub on Wheels bicycle tour finish line, 2017
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Boston Pride Festival, 2019
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Chairs and tables on the plaza, 2019
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MBTA station and Center Plaza, 2019
