CityLab reports on efforts to revive the long blocked-off concrete plaza at the Government Services Center, that hulking concrete behemoth next to the Brooke Court House that houses the Lindemann Mental Health Center.
Leonardo DiCaprio runs down one of the staircases that goes nowhere in that plaza during a scene in "The Departed". The scene could have utilized any staircase for the same effect but somebody must have liked that one.
Friends of Eddie Coyle (Free on Kanopy through the BPL this month) uses the plaza for a couple of shots. Also there was a David Morse movie about him being a robot or something from the 1980s that shot there too. The Flowers for Algernon movie "Charly" from the 60s had a few shots of City Hall under later construction IIRC.
When "Friends of Eddie Coyle" was made in the early 70s, that whole area looked nicer. The round globe streetlights, the fountain and flowers in City Hall Plaza, etc. Plus the buildings looked cleaner. The problem with that Lindemann building is it looks so filthy. But the very fact that so many movies want to feature it for no particular reason shows how distinct and distinctly Boston it is.
Why are most Architecture/Landscape Architecture Designers so bad at planning spaces outside the two City centers, Lindemann Center and City Hall for the passersby?
It's also important to note that said plazas would have been a lot nicer if the directives of those architects were followed fully instead of half assing - as occurred during the construction of both Lindemann Center and City Hall.
The architect of Lindemann was so pissed he didn't get the Boston City Hall commission, he made Lindemann his "physical argument" of what Boston City Hall should be. The architect forgot he was designing a mental health center, and it shows.
How about turning the now-parking lot back into a plaza at the corner of Merrimack St and Staniford St? Nothing says welcome to Boston like chain link fences and parked cars!
Such a prominent building (whether you like it or not) to be sort of just abandoned. It is about time.
Parts of the plaza are much more attractive than city hall plaza. Early weekend mornings there are work out classes and because no one else sees the value in the plaza the homeless are there in good numbers.
Comments
Somebody in Hollywood thinks that plaza is scenic
Leonardo DiCaprio runs down one of the staircases that goes nowhere in that plaza during a scene in "The Departed". The scene could have utilized any staircase for the same effect but somebody must have liked that one.
And
Friends of Eddie Coyle (Free on Kanopy through the BPL this month) uses the plaza for a couple of shots. Also there was a David Morse movie about him being a robot or something from the 1980s that shot there too. The Flowers for Algernon movie "Charly" from the 60s had a few shots of City Hall under later construction IIRC.
Friends of Eddie Coyle
When "Friends of Eddie Coyle" was made in the early 70s, that whole area looked nicer. The round globe streetlights, the fountain and flowers in City Hall Plaza, etc. Plus the buildings looked cleaner. The problem with that Lindemann building is it looks so filthy. But the very fact that so many movies want to feature it for no particular reason shows how distinct and distinctly Boston it is.
Little touchups on a crumbling disaster
The whole plaza slopes and continues to rot
It's like a metaphor for MA
It's like a metaphor for MA State Government or something...
Bad Architecture/Landscape Architecture Designers
Why are most Architecture/Landscape Architecture Designers so bad at planning spaces outside the two City centers, Lindemann Center and City Hall for the passersby?
Compare https://google.com/search?q=best+piazza
They're Not
It's more that the passersby have bad taste.
It's also important to note that said plazas would have been a lot nicer if the directives of those architects were followed fully instead of half assing - as occurred during the construction of both Lindemann Center and City Hall.
Super duper wrong
The architect of Lindemann was so pissed he didn't get the Boston City Hall commission, he made Lindemann his "physical argument" of what Boston City Hall should be. The architect forgot he was designing a mental health center, and it shows.
How about turning the now
How about turning the now-parking lot back into a plaza at the corner of Merrimack St and Staniford St? Nothing says welcome to Boston like chain link fences and parked cars!
https://bit.ly/2ZAQHtE
Its an embarrassment
Such a prominent building (whether you like it or not) to be sort of just abandoned. It is about time.
Parts of the plaza are much more attractive than city hall plaza. Early weekend mornings there are work out classes and because no one else sees the value in the plaza the homeless are there in good numbers.