Bringing New Light and New Life to Boston's City Hall

Boston City Hall is the seat of city government of Boston, Massachusetts. It includes the offices of the mayor of Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh, and the Boston City Council. The current hall was built in 1968 and is a prominent example of the "experimental" architectural style.

The building itself was built as the keystone of a massive urban renewal project, initiated by Mayor John Hynes during the 1950s; meant to transform Boston from a dilapidated backwater slump into a world-class metropolis. By building a new City Hall within a lively central complex that would also include federal and state office buildings, Boston’s leaders sought to demonstrate to everybody, the world at large as well as to the business community, and to Bostonians, that together, we were going to rebuild and reenergize the city on step at a time.

After City Hall’s completion, Bostonians commonly complained that the place was a bit of an eyesore. And yet the broader effort, as mentioned above that had led to its construction, was undeniably succeeding. Thanks in part to the development of Government Center, Boston was becoming a thriving city. Businesses were opening up downtown and developers broke new ground on buildings. Eventually, Boston’s unfortunate past quickly faded into memory. And while there’s no doubt that City Hall was just one piece of a puzzle that also included the development of the Prudential Center, the Central Artery, and Faneuil Hall Marketplace, it went a long way toward changing the perception that Boston was a city with a past but no future. Leading us to the life of Boston City Hall today that we all can appreciate!

In an effort to “bring new light and new life to Boston City Hall,” the mayor’s office said the new exterior light installation will be demonstrated tonight, Thursday, October 13 at 6:30PM during the Light Bright Beer Garden on City Hall Plaza. The new fixtures will bathe the building in a warm white light, with the capacity to project various colors during special events. Similar to the light displays of the TD Garden and Prudential building, City Hall is surely to be recognized now when traveling through the city. The Light Bright Beer Garden starts at 5PM, and is free and open to the public.

Note this down in the history books as another transformable moment for Boston's City Hall! This is definitely a step in the right direction to bring new light and devour the details of one of the city's most prominent buildings. Can't wait to check it out!