This piece was created as a memorial to John Frederick Collins, Mayor of Boston from 1960 to 1968. Collins was known for revitalizing downtown Boston and building the current City Hall. In 1962, a competition was held to choose the new building’s design, and Gerhard M. Kallmann, Noel M. McKinnell, and Edward F. Knowles won with their imposing modernist structure. Their design has been a source of debate ever since its unveiling; some defend the building as an important and innovative example of Brutalist architecture while others find it ugly and unwelcoming. In creating his tribute to Collins, Boston-based artist John McCormack was inspired by the forms of City Hall’s exterior. In his words, “The grid pattern of this memorial represents the modern city with the same density and lines of
the building.”