Boston City Hall Plaza Receives 2025 Frederick Law Olmsted Award

Boston City Hall Plaza

Congratulations to Boston City Hall Plaza, recipient of a 2025 Frederick Law Olmsted Award.

When it opened in 1968, Boston City Hall was hailed as a monumental Brutalist icon, but its 7-acre plaza was met with public criticism. While it served as the city’s primary space for large gatherings, its vast, impervious surfaces lacked everyday amenities, suffered from harsh wind and sun exposure, and presented significant mobility barriers. The plaza’s transformation enhances its architectural legacy, offers a welcoming environment for all users, and embraces sustainable design practices, while still accommodating a wide variety of programming options. Today, the plaza shines as a vibrant space that invites people of all abilities and backgrounds.

One of the primary goals for the renovation was to improve accessibility. The original plaza addressed a 26-foot grade change with a “mountain of steps,” which was both difficult to navigate and unwelcoming. In collaboration with the Disabilities Commission, the design team eliminated nearly all steps across the site, providing universal access to all areas.

In addition to accessibility, the renovation incorporated an entirely new playscape, aimed at engaging a younger generation. The playscape includes sensory, water, and adventure play areas. The design also added thousands of feet of new shaded benches and seating, inviting people to relax, gather, and enjoy the space.

The planting design adds a rich ecological layer to downtown, with 250 new trees, 3,000 shrubs, and 10,000 native perennials. Trees and plantings now shade over 50% of the site, reducing heat-island effects and sequestering over 55,000 tons of carbon emissions. The new design features sustainable water management solutions, including a 10,000-gallon underground rainwater harvesting system that irrigates the entire plaza.