Vegetative Roof Tops Landmark Venue in Columbus, Indiana
Despite its modest size, Columbus, Ind., has been called a “veritable museum of modern architecture” by Smithsonian Magazine. With a population of only 44,000, Columbus is home to more than 80 major art works, among them buildings designed by some of the great architects of the 20th and 21st centuries. To call this community sophisticated and informed in its architectural taste is something of an understatement. So it should come as no surprise that passionate community involvement is being cited as the major driver behind the successful reinvention of The Commons in the heart of downtown Columbus.
This recently completed 56,000-square-foot, $14.5 million project is an exuberant recreation of the original Commons, which was designed by noted architect Cesar Pelli in the 1970s as the anchor project for an ambitious downtown revitalization. Principal architect was Steven Risting of CSO Architects, Indianapolis, who collaborated with Koetter Kim & Associates of Boston to redesign The Commons. According to Risting, the existing structure was becoming obsolete and very expensive to operate. “The thought was to make this public space, which is seen as a vital part of downtown Columbus, more energy efficient, lower its operating costs, and improve its usefulness as a public gathering place and performance center through the use of technologies that did not exist when Pelli originally designed the building,” Risting said.