Boston City Hall Study Report

On October 2, 2023, the Boston Landmarks Commission has posted a study report on the proposed designation of City Hall as a Landmark under Chapter 772 of the Acts of 1975, as amended.

Boston City Hall is headquarters for the municipal government of the City of Boston. The building represents the city’s commitment to democratic governance and civic engagement. Completed in 1968, the Brutalist building was designed by Kallmann McKinnell and Knowles in response to an open architectural competition initiated by the Boston Redevelopment Authority in 1961. At this time, the building served as the keystone for the city’s urban renewal efforts to create a “New Boston.”

The design was intended to foster transparency and accessibility, with the aim of bringing government closer to the people. While popular opinion does not always look favorably on the building, Boston City Hall is architecturally significant as a bold example of Brutalist architecture in a period when steel and glass structures were becoming the standard. The massive concrete building presented a significant departure from the traditional brick and brownstone materials associated with Boston’s evolution, and its image has become an iconic part of the city’s cultural identity.

Read the City Hall Study Report

(Report amended as of January 12, 2024)

The proposed designation will be discussed and voted upon at a public hearing on January 23, 2024. Please look for the meeting notice in the public notices section of our website.