I agree with you as02143. You had to be there. At the time the government center complex was designed it was touted as the "New Boston". After decades of dreary, outdated cityscape, already partially destroyed by the central artery, the believe in "urban renewal" was almost absolute. Tearing down the old to build the new (the entire West End, parts of the South End, Scollay Sq., etc.) seemed to be the best solution to revitalization. The design of City Hall and its plaza was meant to symbolize this New Boston. The size of the plaza was to be a singular moment in architectural design which surpassed similar plazas being created throughout the country. Boston's was to be the best! In order to sell this design, someone came up with the the Sienna comparison. This gave "old European" cache to the plan, offered many second generation Americans living in the North End a vision for something culturally familiar (and who were angry that Hanover St, long a central artery to and from the North End, was rudely cut off by the plaza), and basically tarted-up the image of a empty brick plaza that was supposed to gather together the populace into a civic "living room." Such hopes and dreams (like thoughts and prayers after mass murders) were meant to smooth over and elevate historic Scollay Sq, which was not cared for and had become a seedy area attracting "low life" types, strip joints, and porn theatres. Now the center of the city with a new "European" image would attract the "best" of its citizens and workers. It worked for a while; the corner fountain of the plaza IMO was a great addition. The benches and trees along the JFK building accommodated large groups of strollers. And city hall, open freely to the public, was seen as a wonderful temple of civic architecture. The area around Sears Crescent was to have multiple restaurants, tables, and umbrellas. Culture then changed to promote mass groups for celebrations of all kinds, the fountain died, the benches broken, the steps became dangerous to traverse, City Hall closed its main entrance on the side and after 9-11 the building became less accessible, the ADA forced accommodation of the physically challenged, and next to nothing was spent on maintenance. Pave got torn up and poorly repaired, the bridge over Congress St never got built, and the success of Quincy Market was a stark contrast to the foreboding back facade of City Hall, the huge flight of stairs to the plaza, and the increased feeling of it all being abandoned. It didn't work as an island of culture and served as a symbol of the city turning its back on everyone. After 40 years of wrangling we now have a complete redesign which I hope will bring the area up to date as far as how people seek to use such space. We shall see....or in 40 more years we'll be spending another multi-million dollar package to try again.
