I could see this place from my hotel window and after days and days of gazing down on it, I walked over for a closer look. The whole area – several buildings, a park, and a large reflecting pool – used to make up the headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Apparently, the church has lately sold some of the property to Northeastern University and I guess that gave them the cash they needed to renovate the 1894 Mother Church building.

The building on the right was part of a 1970s grand expansion of the church’s facilities. It was designed by famed architect I. M. Pei, and (believe it or not) won a bunch of awards, include the Prestressed Concrete Institute Award (1973), the Design Award of the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (1975), and (this one’s my favorite) the 1975 Harleston Parker Award from the Boston Society of Architects for the “most beautiful piece of architecture” built in Greater Boston in the past ten years.

Christian Science Plaza
Boston
photographed 9.5.2021