The new 40,000 sf City Hall is the prime destination for citizens and visitors as they interact with the City’s numerous municipal departments.  The Council Chamber, situated on the first floor and visible from Pleasant Street, serves as the People’s Room. Conceived as an oval, with a shallow domed ceiling and light wood walls, it encourages civic discourse. The glass wall of the entrance lobby, grand stair to City departments, open department offices and a roof deck convey the City’s commitment to transparent governing. The new building’s location near the Orange Line T station and in the heart of City’s newly developed City center, make it accessible to all. Conceived as part of a larger mixed use development project, our work included the interior design of the new City Hall. A sky bridge connects market rate housing on either side of Pleasant Street.

The 2 story lobby space creates a civic experience for visitors entering the new City Hall. The board and batten pattern evokes a traditional, New England design element. Western Hemlock adds a contemporary influence to this historic aesthetic. Linear lighting, embedded in the wood panels, reinforces the board and batten pattern and provides a strong visual feature visible from both the interior and exterior of the space.