Starting its journey from the one log cabin on the hill, Columbus Indiana has now reached to the summit of the field of architecture and art. Widely known as the showcase of modern art and architecture, this city has always been lucky enough to receive financial banking from many sources. Visually striking architectural structures and beautiful historical monuments and sculptures attract tourists from all over the world to this place.
J. Irwin Miller, I.M. Pei, Charles Bassett, Cesar Pelli, Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier, Robert Venturi are some the people we must thank for contributing to making Columbus the best know American city for its fabulous and lovely architecture. Six of the buildings constructed between the periods of 1942 to 1965 were honored to get included in the list of Historic landmarks of the nation. And other sixty tell us why Columbus is called the showcase of modern architecture.
The First Baptist Church Designed by Harry Weese is a two storied building built in red brick. It has five sections with a courtyard in the centre. The architecture is simple. But the same simplicity is used to create a dramatic effect. The First Christian Church (Tabernacle Church of Christ), designed by Eliel Saarinen is one of the initial churches built in USA in contemporary style of architecture. The glass studded main hall, the huge clock tower and the tapestry showing the ‘sermon on the mount’, these are the special features of this church. Irwin Union Bank is a neoclassical structure. For the first time in this bank the idea of bars between customers and officials was executed.
Mabel McDowell Adult Education Center is a very important example of the contextual work by the architect John Carl Warnecke. This was the first structure of its kind to introduce the use of space in and between the classrooms. The Miller House was built in modern international fashion of residence design for the first time. The landscape was designed by Dan Kiley, a very renowned landscape architect. North Christian Church is built in hexagon shape and has a 192 feet high central spire.
Apart from these six National Historical Landmarks, there are many other attractions like Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Columbus East High School, Lincoln Elementary School, Otter Creek Golf Course, The Republic Newspaper Building, Fire Station #4, Large Arch, Chaos I sculpture, Columbus City Hall etc. No wonder why the National Geographic Magazine was tempted to devote a whole article to the architecture of Columbus city. This city is a must visit for those interested in architecture as well as those who wish to please their eyes!
