The Indianapolis Artsgarden is a glassed dome spanning the intersection of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

and Illinois streets in downtown

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

. It serves not only as a pedestrian connector between Circle Centre Mall and nearby office buildings and hotels but also as a venue for the display and performance of artistic and musical works (more than 300 performances take place in the Artsgarden each year). In addition, the Artsgarden houses the ''Cultural Concierge'', which provides local arts and cultural information, maps, and visitor guides. The structure, including the walkways connecting it to the adjacent buildings, is owned and operated by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. The Artsgarden was designed by

Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects (EE&K) is an international architectural firm with offices in New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. EE&K's expertise spans large-scale urban development and infrastructure projects, mixed-use ...

who also designed the adjacent Circle Centre Mall. Blackburn Architects collaborated on the design and execution. The $12 million cost was funded by the

Lilly Endowment Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...

The floor of the Artsgarden stands above the intersection. A series of arched steel trusses creates a graduated set of glassed vaults, the tallest of which is above the floor and above the street. The design yields a total free-span length of within the dome. A total of of glass is used in the structure to give it an airy, open feel. The entire dome is set on two pairs of plate girders that diagonally span the intersection. When initially constructed in 1995, the Artsgarden connected the second level of Circle Centre Mall on the southeast corner of the intersection with an upper level of the Claypool Courts on the northwest corner, while stairways provided access to the ground-level sidewalks on the northeast and southwest corners. In 2006, the

Conrad Indianapolis Conrad Indianapolis is a high-rise luxury hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 2006 and has 23 floors. The building includes street-level retail, 247 hotel rooms, and 18 residential condominiums. Conrad Hotels is one of the luxury ...

was built on the site of the small park that had been on the northeast corner and the stairway there was replaced with a direct connection to the hotel. In 2011 construction was started on a connector to the 16-story PNC Center and Hyatt Regency hotel complex on the southwest corner. The owners of the complex in 1995 had declined to help pay for the connector; in 2010 an agreement was reached to split the $1.2 million cost, completing the original concept of the Artsgarden. The connector was completed in January 2012.

References

External links

Official websiteArtsgarden at Emporis
{cbignore, bot=medic Buildings and structures completed in 1995 Culture of Indianapolis Buildings and structures in Indianapolis Tourist attractions in Indianapolis

Art museums and galleries in Indiana Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the ...

1995 establishments in Indiana