DIDACTIC COLLECTION ON EXHIBIT COLUMBUS A Selection for the inaugural 2016 Exhibit Columbus Symposium, "Foundations and Futures" DIDACTIC III Collection on Exhibit Columbus A selection for the inaugural 2016 Exhibit Columbus Symposium, "Foundations and Futures" At Exhibit Columbus we are thrilled to partner with PRINTtEXT to produce this is- sue of Didactic. I hope that you’ll read through these pages with thoughtful attention, as each word was written and each page designed with the same kind of intentionali- ty that has made Columbus, Indiana an internationally recognized city for its pursuit of good design. Enrique has written perceptive histories of the nine sites we’ve select- ed to host new temporary installations next year. These installations, built to respond artistically and architecturally to each site’s unique design history, will be featured in the 2017 Exhibit Columbus exhibition. Amy and Matt’s articles show what Colum- bus has meant to them from a personal perspective. All of this work snaps into clari- ty with the beautiful images of Hadley Fruits. I hope you enjoy this issue—and make plans to attend the inaugural symposium, “Foundations and Futures,” Sept 29 - Oct 1. —Richard McCoy, Director, Landmark Columbus Creative Directors / Editors: Janneane & Benjamin Blevins Published by: PRINTtEXT Photography: Hadley Fruits Features Editor: Eleanor Rust Contributors: Enrique Ramirez “A Home in The Modern World: Sites & Histories of Columbus, Indiana” 2 Site One: First Christian Church (1942) 3 Site Two: Irwin Conference Center (1954) 6 Site Three: Bartholomew County Public Library (1969) 8 Site Four: Cummins Corporate Office Building (1984) 10 Site Five: Mill Race Park (1992) 12 Site Six: Columbus Signature Academy—Lincoln Campus (1967) 14 Site Seven: Columbus Post Office and Federal Building (1912) 18 Site Eight: Washington Street, Between First and Seventh Streets 19 Site Nine: North Christian Church (1964), by Eero Saarinen 22 Amy Auscherman “The Aluminum Group” 24 Matt Shaw “18 B-sides” 26 Additional Images CIAA, John Cho, Herman Miller Archives A HOME IN THE MODERN WORLD: SITES SITE ONE: FIRST CHRISTIAN AND HISTORIES OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA1 CHURCH (1942) BY SAARINEN AND ENRIQUE RAMIREZ SAARINEN We celebrate Columbus, In- IN APPRECIATION FOR THE • Chris Cornelius of stu- gram, students from Colum- The Miller’s sponsorship of tions made to lots 23 and napolis Railroad. In 1852 fires of 1894 and 1895 re- diana for its dedication to LEADERSHIP AND GENER- dio:indigenous (Milwau- bus high schools will design modern art and architecture 22 of the original 1821 plan the Jeffersonville Railroad spectively, the city purchased modern and contemporary OSITY OF kee, Wisconsin) and Eric an installation to be erected in Columbus begins with of Columbus. These sites reached Columbus via a the land next to the City Hall J. IRWIN AND XENIA MILLER architecture in the service of AND Höweler and Meejin Yoon at the Old Post Office on Eliel and Eero Saarinen’s were not linked to purchas- competing spur through Ed- and built Firehouse No. 1. improving communities. Sit- CLEMENTINE MILLER TAN- of Höweler + Yoon (Boston, the corner of Washington First Christian Church. es made by the Irwin, Jones, inburgh, and in 1866 the uated in Bartholomew Coun- GEMAN Massachusetts). Site: First and Seventh Streets. A third Completed in 1942, this el- or Mount families and were two lines merged, creating ty, about 50 miles south of THEY HAVE ENRICHED THE Christian Church (1942) program will feature a set egant, abstracted interpreta- presumably made by the the Jeffersonville, Madison Indianapolis, this small com- LIVES OF OUR by Saarinen and Saarinen of installations along Wash- tion of a Renaissance piazza town, which was officially & Indianapolis Railroad. munity features signature PEOPLE AND EMBELLISHED • Dwayne Oyler and Jenny ington Street that engage and campanile is situated on incorporated in 1835.3 The OUR CITY. buildings by Eliel Saarinen, Wu of Oyler Wu Collabora- emerging design galleries. Fifth Street between Frank- sites, however, are linked to A spur of the original Jeffer- Eero Saarinen, Edward Lar- “WHERE THE GOOD THINGS tive (Los Angeles, California) Indiana University students lin Street and Lafayette Av- railroad development and son, Madison & Indianapolis rabee Barnes, Kevin Roche, ARE, and Benjamin Ball and Gas- will design a site-specif- enue, directly across the subsequently to the estab- Railroad ran south through Robert Venturi, Myron Gold- THERE IS HOME.” ton Nogues of Ball-Nogues ic work at North Christian street from the Bartholomew lishment of the City Fire the site on Fifth Street, and smith, Harry Weese, Charles Studio (Los Angeles, Cali- Church under the supervi- County Public Library and Department in Columbus. a small depot was construct- Gwathmey, Robert A.M. EURIPIDES fornia). Site: Irwin Confer- sion of T. Kelly Wilson, di- diagonally across from the ed there. This area was once Stern, Deborah Berke, Car- COLUMBUS, INDIANA ence Center (1954) by Eero rector of Indiana University Irwin Home and Gardens. The site’s links to railroads known as Railroad Square los Jimenez and others. Yet MAY 26, 1984 Saarinen and Associates Center for Art and Design, This area did not officially begin as early as 1836, with and when the original depot Columbus, Indiana is not just • Sharon Johnston, Mark and Jiangwei Wu, Assistant exist when Columbus was the signing of the Internal was demolished, it became a city with a dense and rich Today the plaque can be Lee, and Jonathan Olivares Professor of Interior Design founded in 1820. But by Improvement Bill by Gov- a small public square known collection of notable midcen- found at The Commons, Fred of Johnston Marklee and Jon- at Indiana University. The 1879, the Irwin, Mount, Fin- ernor Noah Noble. One of as Commercial Park. In 1871 tury modern and postmodern Koetter and Susie Kim’s athan Olivares Design Re- sites for these programs are: ley, Sims, and Jones families the key provisions of the bill the City Council ordered the buildings. Columbus’ archi- large steel and glass-en- search (Los Angeles, Califor- had purchased many tracts of was the establishment of a construction of a small fire- tectural offerings were the re- closed public space occu- nia) and Yugon Kim of IKD • Columbus Signature land north, east, and south- railroad line from Madison house on the Park on the sult of a half-century’s worth pying the block at Fourth (Boston, Massachusetts). Academy—Lincoln Cam- east of the original 1821 plat, to Lafayette that would pass block of Fifth Street, between of innovative public-private and Washington Streets in Site: Bartholomew Coun- pus (1967), by Gun- including those that would through Columbus and Indi- Franklin and Mechanics initiatives inspired by and downtown Columbus. And ty Public Library (1969) nar Birkerts and Central eventually become the site for anapolis. The Madison-Co- Streets (now Lafayette Ave- in some cases incentivized though this plaque can be by I.M. Pei and Partners Middle School (2007), the First Christian Church. lumbus line was completed nue). It used to stand roughly by the industrialist and art used to describe the Mill- • Herwig Baumgartner and by Ralph Johnson in 1844, and by 1848 it was in the same place as the First patron J. Irwin Miller (1909- ers’ own approach to public Scott Uriu of Baumgartner for Perkins + Will. The history of the site be- called the Madison-India- Christian Church’s bell tow- 4 2004) and his wife, Xenia stewardship, it emphasizes + Uriu (Los Angeles, Cal- • Columbus Post Office and gins with a series of addi- er. After the St. Denis and Simons Miller (1917-2008). how Columbus’ innovative ifornia) and Joyce Hsiang Federal Building (1912), American Starch Company approach to art and architec- and Bimal Mendis of Plan by James Knox Taylor, J. Irwin was fond of the an- tural stewardship was linked B Architecture & Urban- Supervising Architect. cient Greek playwright Eu- to the creation of a “home ism (New Haven, Con- • Washington Street, Between ripides. Before an audience at in the modern world.” This necticut). Site: Cummins First and Seventh Streets Princeton University in 1979, is all to say that for many Corporate Office Build- • North Christian Church Miller reflected, “Americans of the signature architectur- ing (1984) by Kevin Roche (1964), by Eero Saarinen feel themselves rootless, and al masterpieces in Colum- John Dinkeloo Associates in their anxieties seek, with- bus, their importance lies as • Benjamin Aranda and Chris This publication considers out finding, a sense of home. much on their formal and ar- Lasch of Aranda\Lasch (Tus- the individual histories of There is a line in Euripides tistic innovation as on their con, Arizona and New York, these eight sites. It is worth which says, 'Where the good skillful negotiation of site. New York) and Rachel Hayes noting from the outset that things are, there is home.' Earlier this year, Exhib- (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Site: the emphasis will be on the The artist today has this great it Columbus inaugurated Mill Race Park (1992) by various social, cultural, and chance to show us what the the J. Irwin and Xenia S. Michael Van Valkenburgh architectural developments good things are, to help us Miller Prize Competition. Associates with architec- that informed the particu- find our home in the modern Ten teams of architects and ture by Stanley Saitowitz lar designs in each specif- 2 world.” City leaders invoked artists will be given the ic location. This will give the quotation from Euripid- chance to design and build Exhibit Columbus also in- readers a brief picture of es for Miller's seventy-fifth site-responsive installations cludes three additional com- the myriad collaborations birthday celebration, held at at five sites in Columbus. ponents. The first of these will between architects, artists, Mill Race Park on May 26, The teams and sites of the feature site-specific work by and the people of Columbus.