How to improve City Hall short of just blowing it up
So, you read recently about light-transmitting concrete?
... Filled with optical fibers that run from one end of a poured piece of concrete to the other, these prefabricated blocks and panels effectively transmit light from one side to the other. Colors and light remain remarkably consistent from end to end, but with a natural variation from the pouring process that actually softens the effects considerably. ...
On archBoston, Lurker comes up with a great plan for this new material:
Maybe they should try using this stuff to replicate the geometry while replacing some of the existing surfaces at City Hall?
Egress stairs and fire doors made of concrete could open up a world of day-lighting possibilities.
I think that would make a
I think that would make a huge difference, it would still be an ugly building but at least it would have some fun and light added to it.
City Hall in small doses
I find that if I see just a portion of City Hall, say from the Washington St. Mall or Union Street that it looks, if not attractive, then at least visually interesting. From prospects where I can see the whole facade though it is most unappealing. That the vast expanse of the City Hall Plaza brings even more attention to this deficit of attractiveness is City Hall's greatest flaw. So I say we can make City Hall look better by building a lot of other (more attractive) buildings around it, filling up the Plaza.
The structure is
The structure is unwelcoming, IMHO. I have been right outside it many times, but have never been inside it, nor am I certain where the front door is.
Most of the plaza is a wasteland, except when being used for a large event. I'd be interested to see concept sketches on how to add green to the plaza, or maybe even turn it into a full-fledged park, while still permitting the occasional events like the circus and Pride.
Alternatively, move the events to the Common or elsewhere, and convert the plaza brick to a real park, perhaps adding one or two small structures.
And flower beds flanking the City Hall entrance couldn't hurt its approachability. :)
There are these new blocks
There are these new blocks that many people use called like green blocks I believe that are essentially bricks with mini grates built into them and soil underneath where you plant grass and it comes up through the grates. So it looks very green but you can still drive on it, and you would only harm the top of the grass if a million people trampled it, not the actual roots. I think thats what they need in areas. Big green patches would be great.
Grass jail
Very interesting. I'd like to see an installation of that. Could be great. Could evoke a dystopian future in which we speak wistfully of the days when children could play on real grass. :)
paversearch.com
http://www.paversearch.com/grass-pavers-introducti...
Its not a perfect solution for all grassland, mainly because I am sure while it may look sorta like grass its really as hard as pavement if you fall of it, so no flag football guys! They could do a reverse park with it. Where normally you have lots of grass and then you have stone pathways. In this case you have stone everywhere and then you have green pathways! Seriously though it would be nice to be able to use the space for large events AND have it be green. City Hall looks like such a fortress I think it would be fun if they turned all the brick green, lit up some of the cinder blocks and put in yellow brick pathways leading to city hall. Imagine the tourist boom from having a real life emerald city in our midst? Ok we can drop the yellow bricks, but I think it could look much nicer.