05/14/2008, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Learning Units: 2.00-Walking Tour
Training Units: 0.50-Training Area 17 (Planning)
City Hall is the major civic edifice in Boston's downtown Government Center. Its importance as a public icon and the high visibility of its dramatically contoured site called for an intensely complex composition, responsive to the constraints of site and its urban context. Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects designed the building such that its fabric is a combination of cast-in-place concrete, pre-cast concrete and masonry work. The building won the prestigious Harleston Parker Award in 1970.
Although Boston City Hall is loved by many architects, that is not always the case with the general public or the people who work there. In 2007 Mayor Thomas M. Menino proposed that a new City Hall be built on Boston's waterfront and that this building be offered for redevelopment. Response to the mayor's idea has been intense, with no apparent resolution in sight as we go to press.
This walking tour will review the lively history of the building, one filled with praise and controversy. We will explore key spaces within the building, including the beloved model room at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the multistoried courtyard, the entry lobby, and City Council Chambers. We will also investigate some of the building's oddities. We end the tour with a status report on proposals to landmark the building, to seek alternative uses, and to develop an overall plan for the surrounding urban environs.
Learning Objectives:
- Assess internal and external spaces of a landmark civic building with attention to design, texture, light, and drama
- Explore recent controversy surrounding a historic Modernist structure, ranging from calls for demolition to petitions for landmarking
- Assess City Hall's stature as a Modernist landmark and its significance in Boston and beyond
TP22a Wednesday, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $60
Core Discipline: Design
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