The City of Cambridge hosted an open house on Thursday to present updated designs for the renovation and revitalization of the Harvard Square Plaza and Kiosk. Attendees were given the opportunity to review updated plans and renderings, watch an animated walk-through of the renovated space, and speak directly with City officials and the design team about their impressions.
Halvorson Design is working with engineering firm HDR to transform the bustling plaza into an accessible and flexible community space, able to host a variety of programming, from concerts and public gatherings to art installations and food drives. They are working with architect Ted Touloukian, who is leading the design for the restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic kiosk, which is currently home to the Out of Town News.
Looking to obtain a variety of opinions, the City established a Working Group and organized a series of community workshops. The project aims to provide a high degree of flexibility, improve circulation and accessibility at this busy transit hub, serve a diverse community of residents, students and tourists, and create a sense of place in the heart of the iconic Harvard Square neighborhood.
You can learn more about the project at the City of Cambridge website and read coverage of the open house via The Harvard Crimson. The animation can be viewed via YouTube.