Restored by CBT Architects
Boston – The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics have teamed up to launch a new exhibit in the third-floor lobby of City Hall that blends public art and urban design. Dubbed “Bird’s-eye Boston,” the installation invites people to explore a three-dimensional model of Boston’s downtown. Some of the city’s most iconic buildings are highlighted on the model to help visitors orient themselves to the unique view, and staff will lead brief guided tours that offer insight on the history of downtown’s redevelopment.
“If you spend a lot of time in the city, it’s easy to overlook some of the truly special views and destinations that are in our own backyard,” Mayor Walsh said. “The Bird’s-eye Boston exhibit will help activate the main entrance to City Hall and give people an opportunity to learn a bit about the history of buildings in the downtown area.”
The three-dimensional model of Boston’s downtown, which was recently restored by CBT Architects, was originally created by the BRA in 1975 to showcase Boston’s developing skyline. It displays about three square miles of the city (approximately one-sixteenth of Boston’s land mass) on a scale that makes the Hancock tower, the city’s tallest building at 790 feet, a diminutive eight inches high.
The model uses color to differentiate between building types. It has been updated over the years to reflect the current build-out of downtown and portions of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill.
