Bird’s-Eye Boston Opens in the Lobby of City Hall

Photo provided by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Something like looking out the window of a Logan-bound plane, the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics invites visitors to take in an overland view of downtown Boston’s ever-changing landscape in a new City Hall exhibit, “Bird’s-eye Boston.” This 3D model, originally created by the BRA in 1975 and recently restored by CBT Architects, shows three square miles of the city on a scale that reduces the 790 foot high Hancock tower to only eight inches.

Starting this week and running through mid-December, the exhibit will be located in the third floor lobby of City Hall and open to the public weekdays, from 8AM to 5PM. City Hall staff will lead brief guided tours that offer insights on the history of downtown’s redevelopment. While the model does not capture all of the intricate details of Boston’s most recognized structures, it uses color to differentiate between building types.

The exhibit’s curators are encouraging visitors to share their favorite views of Boston on social media using the hashtag #BirdseyeBoston. Visitors can tweet questions and photos to @BostonRedevelop.

Photo provided by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Photo provided by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Photo provided by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.