The Government Center is a steel, glass, and brick fortress standing tall in the middle of Boston. This urban complex was designed by the famous I.M. Pei with the purpose of transforming 60 acres of ghetto tattoo parlors and squalid stores that used to dominate the Scollay Square district into a revitalized part of Boston. Today, imposing buildings accompanying the Government Center make the district a central focus for the city. Modern and grand architecture combine with huge open spaces to create an oasis for the crowded surrounding neighborhoods.[1]
Old City Hall
The centerpiece of the Government Center district is the City Hall, which was designed by Knowles, Kallman, and McKinell. It is a huge inverted pyramid standing on the foundations of a plaza of brick; it resembles “an Aztec temple on a brick desert."[2]
Skyscrapers
The Old City Hall is surrounded by a number of futuristic modern buildings such as the John F. Kennedy Office Building with its twin towers, the State Service Center with its sharp architectural lines, and the Center Plaza Building with its curvy contours.[3]
Sears Crescent
The Sears Crescent is the only 19th century building that survived the Government Center’s transformation. The building is famous for its 200-gallon steaming tea pot, which hangs from the building’s corner to mark the former site of Boston’s largest tea store.[4]
References:
Bond, Richard. The Insider’s Guide to New England. Edison: Hunter Publishing, Inc., 1992. ISBN: 1556504551.
[1] Bond, 39
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
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