Hi Everyone,
As I mentioned a week or so ago, I decided to do a review of the newly renovated Copley Square.
While it’s not quite finished, it’s finished enough for me to tell you what I think.
(Edit: Wednesday August 13, 2025) I have added some photos I found of how Copley Square looked before June 2023.
Take a look at how lovely the setting was for the Copley Statue with its exquisite patina. I love the brick and stone pattern. The benches and lights are perfect. I cannot believe they ripped this all out, including some lovely old trees to make way for what’s coming up. It looks so relaxing and peaceful.
Note: Six more images are coming up of how things were. Most are in the middle of the post, and there’s one at the end.
Copley Square: Boston’s Gray Pigeon Lounge
Those pavers are giving me vertigo!
So there I was, standing in the middle of what was once Boston’s grand civic salon, surrounded by benches that appear to have been designed by someone who hates humans, trash cans that could double as biohazard bins, and lights that scream “Attention Kmart shoppers! — circa 1983.”
And then, as if to crown this masterclass in missed opportunity… a brand-new statue of John Singleton Copley, plunked down in the middle of the cheap pavers, like someone just remembered, “Oh right, he’s the guy we named this place after!”
It went from this:
David Michael Finnerty on Instagram
And next is the sanitized version in an asphalt setting. Yes, they removed all of the patina. When I first wrote this, I thought the statue was new.
It’s not that the statue itself is bad—Mr. Copley’s looking dashing enough.
It’s that in this sea of grey concrete, cheap railings, phenomenally ugly concrete benches, it all feels about as natural as a Fabergé egg at a yard sale.
Image above, taken last May just after sunset.
Trinity Church is on the left, and the Fairmont Copley Plaza is on the right.
Yes, it was a very clear day today.
The view of Copley Square from the elegant Fairmont Hotel.
I was pondering all this when, I swear to you, a parchment letter came out of nowhere and fell right into my hand.
The handwriting was so elaborate I nearly sprained my eyelids just trying to read it. It was signed—get this—by none other than Mr. John Singleton Copley himself… and his friend (and occasional frenemy) Mr. John Hancock.
So, the rumors are true. Those two early Americans haunt this place.
Cool.
But, I didn’t realize they even knew each other in real life, but more about that in a sec.
I took a photo of the letter so you guys could read it as well.
My good Ms. Bern. Oh my!
Awww…
That last line really made me tear up. What sweet guys they are. I mean, were. What gentlemen!
Well, I can’t disappoint them!
I learned later that not only did they know each other quite well, but Copley had painted Hancock’s portrait at least twice. It is reported that later in life, they had some sort of falling out. Well, how heartening that they found a common bond. Albeit, in the afterlife, and unfortunately, over something unsavory.
Above is the Copley family c 1776 via The National Gallery of Art.
The catatonic elderly man is John’s father-in-law. It’s true that Copley spent the second half of his life in England. However, his entire youth was spent in Boston.
I did a ton of research because I needed to know the history of Copley Square.
Surely, I thought, at some point, Copley Square must have been an elegant place where Bostonians could gather, chat, and relax after a hectic morning at the Library or a Sunday at Trinity Church.
Well, I was wrong. Copley Square was never anywhere close to the refinement of the Boston Public Garden — that true jewel of the city, brimming with charm, color, and grace. From its earliest days as a dusty triangle to its present incarnation as… well… Yes, as the guys said, cement bus terminal with landscaping, it’s had a history more awkward than glorious.
Copley Square circa 1915-1930
Copley_Square_from_old_John_Hancock_Building,_1950s looking over a snowfall. The Boston Public Library is at the top of the screen, and the Fairmont is on the left.
A Brief History of Copley Square
As you can see above, Copley Square wasn’t even a square to begin with. In the mid-19th century, the area was part of Boston’s Back Bay landfill project, a marshland slowly transformed into a planned neighborhood of stately streets. Originally called Art Square (1883–1884) in honor of the art institutions nearby, it was renamed after painter John Singleton Copley.
But in those early days, Huntington Avenue sliced right through it, creating more of a traffic triangle than a civic gathering spot. Yes, Copley Square was not so much a destination as it was a glorified median!
The square gradually took shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, anchored by the newly completed Trinity Church (1877), the Boston Public Library (1895), and later the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel (1912). These elegant buildings gave the area cultural weight — but the open space itself lagged in beauty and utility.
In 1968, a major redesign created something closer to the modern layout, closing Huntington Avenue at Dartmouth Street to enlarge the park.
Over the decades, the square saw various renovations, most aiming to make it more pedestrian-friendly, though not always with much success. The 1980s brought another facelift, with granite paving and seating areas — a step up from earlier versions, but still not on par with the Boston Public Garden. Incidentally, the Boston Public Garden is truly magnificent, especially since they renovated the Child Fountain at the Arlington-Commonwealth Ave. entrance.
Please enjoy a few more photos of how lovely the square was before the summer of 2023/
The one above and the next two were taken from a video I found on Youtube.
The view from the Boston Public Library
The beautiful inlay brick pattern surrounded the square.
Fast-forward to the 2020s, when the city decided it was time for a glow-up.
The current redesign, still underway as of this writing, could have been glorious. I mean, think mini Trevi Fountain. But no.
Instead, all we can muster is a “1970s YMCA basement pool entrance,” cheap materials, and lighting better suited to a discount store parking lot, meeting all 1972 illumination guidelines for maximum shopper disorientation— and all within spitting distance of historic Trinity Church and the elegant Beaux-Arts McKim, Mead & White masterpiece that is the Boston Public Library.
Please compare the street lights to the lights in the newly renovated Copley Square.
Guys, please listen.
I am horrified by this design. But it follows. Mayor Wu has said that she loves the Boston City Hall. Remember this post about the ten ugliest buildings in Boston? And well, the approved design is like a mini dystopian city hall plaza.
Alas, I have intentionally forgotten to mention the northern border of Copley Plaza.
It’s where lives a CVS (where they lock up the ice cream), an urgent care center for when the shock of the renovation gives you chest pains, if not from the Chick-fil-A and other fast food establishments — I mean nothing says ‘timeless Boston elegance’ like waffle fries under the shadow of a McKim, Mead & White masterpiece that is our exquisite late 19th century public library.
It’s no coincidence that Chick-fil-A is located next to an urgent care facility.</
Oh, you guys must check this out!
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE :
Boston Bureau of Bad Decisions
Date: Whenever
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The City of Boston is proud to unveil the newly renovated Copley Square — a bold reimagining of a beloved landmark that successfully strips away any vestige of charm, character, and sense of place, replacing that with an ambitious vision we’re calling “Retro 70s Parking-Lot Chic.”
Our design team, after studying decades of Soviet municipal planning and abandoned 1960s suburban malls, has delivered a space that will stand the test of time — or at least until the concrete begins to crack in about 18 months.
Visitors will be delighted to find:
- The most uncomfortable, and ugly 70s-inspired benches we could find.
- Railings sourced from the finest liquidation sales of mid-century YMCA facilities.
- Open expanses of whatever pavers were on sale, providing unobstructed views of skateboarders and folks enjoying their
stolenfree ice cream from CVS. - A color palette specially formulated to clash with Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, the Fairmont Copley Plaza, and itself.
We understand some residents may mourn the loss of Copley Square’s former character. To them, we say: please enjoy the Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Smash Burger, and Finagle a Fake Bagel– all directly across from the square on Boylston Street.
We look forward to the grand unveiling— sometime before the end of the decade.
Seriously, aside from the kiosk, which I actually think is kind of cool, could they have made this any uglier, cheaper, weirder, and soulless?
Everywhere else in the Back Bay, including across the street and in front of the library and Fairmont Hotel, are elegant gaslight-inspired light posts.
That is, everywhere but in Copley Square.
Yes, I realize that the square isn’t finished, but the bones are all in:
- The ugliest weirdest pavers ever.
- Nonsensical diagonals that are disorienting.
- A plethora of disjointed materials, concrete, ugly gray pavers, reddish brick, and wood planks.
- The fountain is off to the side.
- The handrails are straight out of the 1970s Community College.
Where was the Back Bay Architectural Commission?
Hmmmmm?
How could they possibly let this one go through?
From Google maps probably taken last summer.
I had to attend a special hearing to obtain approval for installing a condenser in my enclosed garden.
And then there’s this 2.4-acre eyesore in what is one of the most elegant parts of Boston.
It once was.
But now it’s gone.
19 million dollars down the drain.
And it’s already over-budget.
Dear Mr. Copley, Mr. Hancock, and Mr. Jefferson,
I hope you will see this blog post about Copley Square.
Above one last image from the Youtube video.
Please know that I’m incredibly honored you reached out to me. I did my best. That is all I’ve ever done, but despite your faith in me, I have zero power. Please rest in peace, knowing that there are still people fighting the good fight to preserve the beauty our founding fathers created.
xo,
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37 Responses
This is exactly what has happened, in reverse, to the biggest square in my local city centre in France; the whole of the 18th century centre is classified as a historic monument. Some years ago the city fathers decided on a redesign of the square and the architect laid down a paved square with a pattern to the granite pavers in swirls and wide arcs, which looked good from the air but from nowhere else. All that was left of the old version was the monumental fountain. Since the square also hosts a market 3 mornings a week, and thus heavy lorries, the pavers didn’t stay in good condition for long.
What was created then was an infernal heat trap. The latest town council is re-greening squares wherever it can, and is intent on reducing car traffic. So at vast expense, the space has been totally pedestrianised, pavers have been taken up and lots of trees have been planted, with simple wooden benches beneath. For now the trees don’t give much shade, but they will in a few years.
What the authorities in Boston were thinking of I can’t imagine. It’s hideous, inappropriate and exactly the opposite of what all civic authorities should be doing to mitigate climate change.
I read the link posted by another reader regarding the architects. Their renderings sure painted a different picture…I wonder how the sandstone turned into prison-stones? And “The design team gathered over 2,500 touchpoints with the community to identify the priorities and opportunities for improvement for the plaza’s redesign” I guess those “2,500 touchpoints” were all the dollar signs in the eyes of the city planners, right? What a travesty!
So cleverly written, and would be funny if every word wasn’t true! I absolutely agree about the vertigo. My head stated spinning just from looking at the photos!
Linda D’s comment sang to my sagging heart :
“I have the sads. Between Copley Square and the White House Rose Garden, all I can think of is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi…they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
When I looked at the re-do of the WH Rose Garden, all I could think of was this: Is this where they buried Jimmy Hoffa? They might as well as call it the Jimmy Hoffa Rose Garden.
And as for this re-do of Copley Square – sheesh! There are no words..no words (not in polite English anyway).
Did Trump design this? He has such a talent for paving over beauty. Possibly he could add some of those gold pieces to liven it up!
The same concrete pavers & pattern were used to “renovate” an upscale outdoor shopping mall in my area a few years ago. Instead of walking from store to store, I can only manage to go to a couple shops, because the crazy pattern actually makes me dizzy.
Instead of planning a beautiful and inviting spot, it becomes an ugly concrete jungle. Sorry to see this happening to a historic square.
I hope you sent your review to the culprits who designed this eyesore. Is Sasaki familiar with winter weather? Did Trump pay for this? That paved-over pigeon landing will be treacherous at least four months of the year. People come to Boston for historic architecture and cozy European style, NOT renditions of Government Center. That will never change. The place doesn’t even deserve a proper pronunciation of “plaza” – it’s a flat, drab plaaaaaza. Mixed feelings, my ass. Reviews are almost universally bad. Alas, the new Sasaki Square will be our atrocity exhibition for the next century.
Well Laurel,
We interior designers know that some architects think they are gods and create atrocities like your Copely square. Unfortunately we are forced to live with their horrifying designs.
So sad to see this in your historic city.
One can only hope that the pavers get dirty quickly. Maybe that will help.
As for the benches, all I can say is that they fit with the pavers and the lamp post,
Why do so many public spaces end up like this? Are architects just so desperate to do something unique that they don’t care what it looks like? Did they not study the architecture of Paris?
I am so sorry, Laurel, that you will have to live with this.
I agree with everyone – except SAM. The dis-renovation was funded and fueled by greed, incompetence, and corruption. Wouldn’t a tree, grass, and flowers be more environmentally friendly? And, plantings of the era might have been a teaching opportunity for budding gardeners. The opportunities were endless; the choices were tasteless.
Hi Candy,
Sam is a troll who gets his jollies out of writing condescending personal attacks. He did so last week and now he will be blocked.
Horrible! And so typical of civic projects
!
I had to see it to believe it! You are absolutely right! I live on the outskirts of Hudson, NY. There is a lot of government dysfunction in this very small city. It is known for its magnificent 1800’s architecture much saved in the 20th C due to neglect of all things. Then, private renovations at the last moment. When it comes to public spaces, much is done cheaply and poorly. Sadly, the Copley Sq. reno, reminds me of the skirmishes hidden in back rooms that determine the final outcome. There is a Historical Committee but doesn’t have much say in public projects. Maybe weathering will mellow the “tiles”? Lets hope! We did get better lighting though. Curious, what happened to the granite pavers!?
As bad as or worse than what the trump’s have done to the former WH Rose Garden by Jackie. Just awful.
Disgusting, disappointing, and disturbingly ugly.
Oh Laurel, good grief. As someone who was born and raised in Boston and walked in, around, and through Copley Square numerous times in my life, this is a HORROR! The only upside to this blog was your sense of humor, which is awesome, not to mention your exquisite taste overall. How about you keep tabs on any other possible upcoming projects the city sets their sights on and offer your services? What a disgusting eyesore Copley Square now is. It could have been so much nicer! Very, very, very sad to see this. I’m going to be visiting Boston in a little over a week and will make a point of checking this out. I’ll be sure to bring my barf bag along and use one of those attractive garbage bins to make my deposit. Really…..so sad.
I am curious about the entire process that led to this atrocious result. Did the city hold community meetings where the plans were presented for comment? Did the local historic preservationist groups try to organize against this? Chicagoians get very vocal about major projects. Not that that always assures the best outcome! I assume there are quite a few activist groups in Boston. Surely they tried to influence this design.
Hi Faxon,
The early planning began in ernest in 2020. So great. Wait until 3/4 of the Back Bay residents have cleared out.Indeed, when I arrived in December 2020, it was almost like a ghost town. I walked into Eataly in the Prudential Center and there might’ve been one or two other shoppers in a very large store. My research shares that the final approval date is unknown. Well, it’s a matter of public record. However, it was well before July 2023. In September 2023 an article said that the project was more than a year away.
Well, we’re almost two years past that date, and the project is already 2,000,000 over the original $16.900,000 budget.
My 12 year old could have chosen better materials and layout. In fact she will offer her services at a low rate if they’d like to slash the budget moving forward.
Welcome to 21st century fascist architecture which is even worse than its earlier incarnation in Europe.
This is what we should expect folks under authoritarianism. The ‘style’ is everywhere now. There are horrifically styled apartments going up wherever I look even in the charming city of Davis California. I wish we could post pictures or even links.
We have indeed paved paradise and continue to put up parking lots everywhere. I often muse that if this is the best civilization can do, it won’t be a loss if it collapses. Let the weeds grow. Dystopias always collapse; doing so is part of their DNA.
But please leave community colleges alone. I once taught at one with a lovely traditional quad filled with brick and many trees. Of course, it was originally built in the early 20th century.
However, those railings are out of a nightmare. Even the pool railings at my current athletic club built in the last ten years do not look that bad. Was the designer on acid?
Hi Ramona,
I too have fond memories of the community college I went to for two years, Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA.
Please note that I said:
The handrails are straight out of the 1970s Community College.
As for the designers and the choices of building materials, not to mention the hideous design, I cannot say how or why anyone thought this was the best they could do.
My sister asked if perhaps they intended the paved portion to be an ice rink in the winter.
I said, well, not intentionally. But imagine a scenario with poor drainage and we will indeed have our unplanned for Back Bay ice rink– one without borders. Urgent Care will be swamped with broken bones and the city will go broke from the copious number of lawsuits.
Then will come the concrete barricades and red hazard cones, until someone tries to figure out how to undo this mess.
https://www.sasaki.com/projects/copley-square-park/
Sasaki is the firm – more info on project
Thank you, JB. Yes, this is the guilty party.
The taste level is very low. The new modern is hard to take. Maybe when it gets dirty or snow covered those ghastly pavers will improve. Thinking along those lines I wonder if the pavers will be a slips trips and all hazard / liability when they get wet. It’s horrid no matter how you look at it.
Just awful, as is the “redo” of The White House Rose Garden. Just plain awful.
I have the sads. Between Copley Square and the White House Rose Garden, all I can think of is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi…they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
WOW, do the architects just hate Boston? This is so ugly. The streetlights did me in most of all!
So sorry that this fabulous city has to endure such bad design when the opportunity was there to create even more beauty.
Boston resident here chiming in that she agrees this “makeover” is hideous. The sea of pavers means the space will be taken over by the same obnoxious skateboarders who smash up the space in front of the Public Library, to say nothing of the heat all that concrete will generate. Total disaster.
That is pretty darn ugly! The pavers really could induce vertigo. What a waste of money. I guess this is becoming the norm in America…just look at what happened to the beautiful White House Rose Garden recently.
I appreciate your attempt at satire because it looks like this project will do little to contribute to the historical context of Boston.
For what is worth John Singleton Copley (pronounced Cope-ley) was a loyalist. His father was involved with the East India Company, his family had enslaved servants in their Boston home, and his step-father was consigned the tea that was tossed into the harbor during the historic Boston Tea Party.
Copley and Hancock were contemporaries but held opposing political views. They most likely would agree with you though on the travesty evolving in the redevelopment of the square.
Thank you for showing this monstrosity. I am sorry for Boston.
I live in an old city that is rather poor, St. Louis. There is some satisfaction in that, we do not create new plazas of awfulness like this. Perhaps Boston has too much money?
My city does like razing beautiful old buildings, however, so there is that unfortunate fact.
As a former Boston area resident, I say there really is no excuse for this. The mayor et al, know darn well what an architectural monstrosity the City Hall plaza is. This is a failure of the city leadership big time. I sit on our town’s historic preservation committee and see firsthand the political machinations surrounding public renovations. Unfortunately I have to say, the local architects often wield influence—and they, more often than not, want to see new, trendy designs used, rather than a design in keeping with the historic surroundings.
What a shame. And what a waste of money. Vote Wu out.
Wow, this is even worse than the public spaces designed under the communist regimes in Eastern Europe. Does the contractor primarily build prisons?
I’m still reeling over the transformation of the freedom trail area. Huge Walgreens and all the fast food places but I think at least the cobblestones are still there and there are still some quaint side streets but for the most part it is a tourist trap. I didn’t enjoy it. The Walgreens really ruins it. If they did a better job of blending it in with the architecture and requiring that the signage be more low key. But no it’s WALGREENS in huge red letters. So it could be found from space. I agree with your review on the square. The grey pavers are ugly. The railing is very community college. Are the homeless and/or druggies congregating there like they do on the freedom trail?
Hi JB,
In a word, yes. There’s been quite the brouhaha on “Next Door” regarding the existence of illicit drug use with needles, and folks having sex out in the open, etc. I daresay, that the ice cream at CVS is the least of our problems. I realize these folks need to go somewhere, but law abiding folks also have a right to feel safe, and to be able to take their young children to the library without having to explain what’s going on with those people.
Oh Laurel,
This is awful. It’s such a missed opportunity. It could have been a beautiful green space with lovely gardens & winding paths. Somebody must have decided that would have been too expensive. Leftover pavers from the recently demolished YMCA was more affordable.
It’s always about the money.
Pitiful, not really anything else to say.We new struggling with bike lanes in the oldest city in Canada to the tune of a 92m$ quote beginning in 2 years!I wish you could see the mess so far. The craziness of it all, sometimes I think everything’s just out of whack and common sense is just thrown out the window.
Laurel, at least you get it, your home is beautiful!