The Great Hall
(Second Floor)
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Beyond the main staircase to the right and through the glass doors sits the Great Hall. The Great Hall is the newest addition to the State House, completed in 1990. Previously, it was an open space. It was built up from the basement and topped with a glass dome. This magnificent tri-colored marbled hall is used for official state functions and receptions.
The clock was designed by R.M. Fischer, a New York artist, to serve as a functional piece of artwork. Fischer was inspired by the clocks that grace the town halls, churches and other meeting halls of New England. To relate with the space surrounding the clock, Fischer employed many arcs and circles that echo the architectural elements of the building—such as the arched doorways and circular patterns of the marbled floor.
Underneath the Great Hall, there are two new Legislative Hearing Rooms.
Notable facts
- The Great Hall is the most recent 20th century addition to the inside of the State House, while Ashburton Park is the newest addition to the outside. Located just behind the East Wing, the park highlights the monument designed by Charles Bulfinch to commemorate the events of the American Revolution. The height of the column is approximately the same height of the original Beacon Hill, which was leveled off to create the landfill for Back Bay.