38 replies to this topic

[Frankie811]

Cotuit, on Dec 18 2006, 02:54 PM, said:

City Hall takes the fall [The Boston Globe]

Tear it down! Fill it up!

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s announced desire to move City Hall from Government Center to a city-owned site on the South Boston waterfront qualifies as major news in American urban life. But while the announcement suggests a happy defeat for arrogant and ugly modernist planning and architecture, it is also problematical.

http://www.projo.com...QH.1e92d52.html

[Cotuit]

How to save City Hall. Fight or blight? [The Phoenix]

[Cotuit]

On Moving City Hall ]The Phoenix]

[tombarnes]

While I can appreciate the arguments that the present City Hall is a fairly representative example of the Brutalist architecture of its period, I see this as a splendid opportunity to knit the city back together.  Why not undo the arrogant ugliness of City Hall Plaza and rebuild a thoughtful modern-day reinterpretation of Scollay Square?  Sure it's a landmark of sorts, but I have never been a fan of Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles in any event.  I'd much rather see the fabric of the city restored than to have just another big tower in its place.  Does anyone actually like the West End?  This represents a brilliant opportunity for healing design.  Bring back Scollay Square!

Edited by tombarnes, 01 January 2007 - 03:15 PM.

[cloudship]

I don't think you will ever get rid of that big open plaza. No matter what building goes there. I think that no matter what plans you make for Government Center, the presence of the federal buildings around it will ultimately drive keeping that area clear and open for simple security measures. No, I would not be surprised if a plan for suddenly surrounding the buildings by an impenetrable water feature might not take shape, but I wouldn't expect buildings or trees.

[Cotuit]

Hanover Street can and should be restored through to Cambridge Street without removing City Hall. The Plaza also should stay, it just needs to be programmed and designed a bit better.

[atlrvr]

http://boston.bizjou...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

An article in the Boston Business Journal, stating that Menino is pushing ahead with his relocation plan.....it had been awhile sense any news was reported on this.

Here is a line I found interesting.

Quote

he is in the process of picking an architect to design the new one.

How much control does Menino have?  I'd like to think that one man can't arbitrarily select the architect (and in theory the design) that will represent the face of Boston for at least the next 100 years (hopefully!).  That didn't work out too well the last time around  

[Cotuit]

He fancies himself a king, and if he keeps sailing through unopposed or virtually unopposed election cycles I can see where he gets that idea from.

[Cotuit]

Measure would delay new City Hall. Flaherty proposing up to a year of study. [The Boston Globe]

I think the City Council's response is very reasonable.

[Unionstation13]

The city hall is hidiouse, yes. It doesent honor the rich history of Boston, yes, and it looks like some soviet building in east berlin. BUT, it serves a function, if they are able to construct a beautiful city hall, in an old fashion(like the city) then that would be great, but if they just build some post modern cube, then there is no point of moving it anyways.

[atlrvr]

At a breakfast meeting this week at the Seaport Westin, the mayor reaffirmed his commitment to moving city hall to the waterfront, though he did add, that there would be a service center at Dudley Square at a building already owned by the city.

[Cotuit]

[Scott]

Cool video!^

I like his ideas but I don't want to see City Hall torn down, just the plaza and the building put to a better use.

Too many memories of going to concerts and Celtics parades there.

[tombarnes]

I would like to see it torn down.  While it's an interesting piece of the brutalist period, reclaiming something of the street pattern (if not the sleaze) of Scollay Square would be a definite plus for Boston.  In most cases, I'm in favor of retaining significant structures of architectural types I don't necessarily favor.  In this case, however, the slash and burn mentality of the 1950's ruined the core of the old city.  Why not reconnect the city to the North End?  I think this is being done to some extent, but the City Hall seems to be an impediment to this goal.  The point in the video about the street grid is the key to the puzzle.

[Lowerdeck]

To restore more of the street grid, you'd have to start tearing down more than just the city hall proper.

Looking at Google Maps... the most obvious connection between Cambridge St. and the North End is Hanover.  Doesn't need much in demolition to get that accomplished.

[tombarnes]

I agree that the restoration of Hanover Street is a good beginning.  As for the other buildings, I see no particular reason for retaining the other buildings of Government Center beyond the few remaining fragments of Cornhill Row.  Government Center was simply bad urbanism every way one looks at it.  1,2 and 3 Center Plaza could well follow City Hall into the dustbin of history and Boston would be better off without them.  I'm not suggesting rebuilding Scollay Square as it was, merely building something which would recall Scollay Square in terms of scale and layout.  Obviously, this is a huge task which cannot be undertaken lightly.  Re-connecting the North End to the city via Hanover Street is imperative.  How about Endicott Street?

[cloudship]

you're not going to get some nice recreation of a 1920's urban environment there. Even if you could rebuild there, all you are going to get is big corportate skyscrapers. I don't think you are going to get any useful street pattern again. That land is too valuable for that. While the plaza may not be pretty, it is functional. It's the only open gathering spot that works downtown for large events, it's a major foot traffic corridor, and it is open space for the federal building, who wants a clear zone around them. I think the city needs to focus more on making the plaza work right (and dealing with the wind problem), and less on building new buildings.

[Jim856796]

Is a major renovation of the City Hall impossible? I don't want it relocated to the South Harbour. It would be too far away from the rest of the Government Center.

[Chessplayer]

City Hall Plaza is a travesty urban design and desperately needs to be reworked.  

City Hall is an amazing piece of architecture that should be absolutely be saved.