CultureNOW | A Celebration of Culture & Community

Harvard professor Alex Krieger about the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

Architect Daniel Raih, project principal, shares the history of Memorial Hall located on Quincy St in the Harvard University campus, and how the process of the renovation took shape.  Memorial Hall was conceived by Harvard alumni in memory of Harvard affiliates who fell during the Civil War. 

 The architects were invited in 1865. In 1870, the building was named Memorial Hall and the cornerstone was laid. The building went into use in 1874, and the tower was finally completed in 1877.  There are many stained-glass windows inside the Memorial Hall complex, including four by John La Farge.  The windows were installed between 1879 and 1902. 

Today, Memorial Hall is used for large lecture classes, performances for the Harvard community and beyond, and as the Freshman dining hall.  Visitors cannot enter the dining hall.  In the basement is the Queenshead Pub, Harvard's student pub.

Harvard professor Alex Krieger talks about the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

Harvard professor Alex Krieger delves into the history of Boston, speaking about how Boston was originally an island, and only came to its present state due to large amount of land filling in the wetland.

Harvard professor Alex Krieger discusses the landscape of Boston when it was originally inhabited almost four centuries ago.

Harvard professor Alex Krieger talks about the Boston City Hall. Boston City Hall was a part of a major urban redesign effort in downtown Boston during the 1960's, a project which replaced Scollay Square with Government Center, which included City Hall and the City Hall Plaza. One of the most famous examples of so-called brutalist architecture, the design by Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles was the unanimous winner in an international design competition. 

The building is famously polarizing and remains controversial to this day. Praised by many working within architecture and related professions for its vision, it has equally been criticized by workers, neighbors and other Bostonians as an unfriendly eyesore. There have recently been proposals both to demolish the building and to declare it a landmark.

Harvard professor Alex Krieger discusses the architecture of the plaza for Boston City Hall. 

Anne Beha from Ann Beha Architects talks about Fenway Cultural District. Fenway Cultural District contains 22 cultural and educational institutions within an area of two squared acres.

Ann Beha from Ann Beha Architects talks about the Christian Science Center. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States is the Mother Church and administrative headquarters of the Christian Science Church, and is located in the Christian Science Plaza in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston. 

Ann Beha from Ann Beha Architects talks about her project. The Library gives the public access to the original materials of Mary Baker, who was an American author, teacher and religious leader.