My proposal for Boston City Hall Plaza engages the edges of Congress and Cambridge street by focusing on generating two thresholds that together create a field condition within the centre of the plaza. These two thresholds allow for both movement and rest while sloping planes carved out and pushed back from the sidewalk give back to the city through its sinuous form- creating a room on the sidewalk.
The pedestrian experience on Cambridge street is exploratory as sloping walls provide a place to linger, privacy and redirects movement along sidewalks and into the multipurpose plaza.
The tilted planes facing the inner plaza provides a place to gather and to look down onto. This field is conducive for larger crowds while the two thresholds provide a more intimate experience. For example, on the Congress side, the carved out form is mirrored but with treads and a steeper rise, promoting faster movement as well as seating areas. Furthermore, the wider steps facing Union Street Park acts as a lookout for people watching and as a place to have lunch.
GSD MLA1 Core Studio Spring 2015- 2 Week Project [Critic- Rosetta Elkin]