City Hall’s opening on October 15, 2005, brought city government back downtown after half a century. The 18-story tower and the freestanding rotunda face a two-block Civic Plaza on East Santa Clara Street. The rotunda is slightly wider than the U.S. Capitol’s and can be lit in colors for special occasions.
Questions people ask
Who designed San Jose City Hall?
Richard Meier, architect of the Getty Center.
Who is the rotunda named for?
Janet Gray Hayes, the first woman elected mayor of a major U.S. city.