When the Charles Street Jail was completed in 1851, it was considered a model in prison architecture. Designed in a cruciform shape, a 90 foot tall rotunda allowed light and air to penetrate the connecting four wings of jail cells. By the 1970s, the dilapidated structure was declared unfit for prisoners.

Forty years and $110 million later, the Liberty Hotel promises to be a model in luxury accommodations. The breathtaking rotunda was preserved, and will create an extravagant entrance to the hotel when it opens in later this month.