One Nationwide Plaza is a 40-story skyscraper in Columbus, Ohio that serves as the corporate office headquarters of

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies, commonly shortened to Nationwide, is a group of large U.S. insurance and financial services companies based in Columbus, Ohio. The company also operates regional headquarters in Sc ...

. It is part of the complex of buildings known as Nationwide Plaza. Nationwide outgrew its 246 North High Street Building by the 1970s and work began on a new headquarters for the company. In 1977, the building was completed. The building is located at the corner of N. High Street and what is now Nationwide Blvd. on the northern edge of downtown Columbus, Ohio.

Design

The building was designed by Brubaker/Brandt (the same firm that designed

Rhodes State Office Tower The James A. Rhodes State Office Tower is a 41-story, skyscraper on Capitol Square in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The Rhodes Tower was completed and occupied in 1974, and is currently the tallest building in Columbus and the fifth tallest in O ...

, the tallest building in Columbus) and

Harrison & Abramovitz Harrison & Abramovitz (also known as Harrison, Fouilhoux & Abramovitz; Harrison, Abramovitz, & Abbe; and Harrison, Abramovitz, & Harris) was an American architectural firm based in New York and active from 1941 through 1976. The firm was a partner ...

. The façade is dark vertical steel ribs bordered by white limestone ends which follows the modernist style. Blue spotlights light the exterior at night in the same color of Nationwide's logo. In December the interior lights are set so that it reads "happy holidays" to observers of the building, with thematic messages similarly displayed during other holidays and special events such as

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

and

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tre ...

victories and accomplishments. The glass elevator on the side of the building is an express elevator, skipping most office floors, that once went up to a restaurant on the 38th floor of the building, called One Nation. One Nation lasted many years, but closed in 1997, and the glass elevator is permanently out of service. One Nationwide Plaza was the first of several buildings known collectively as ''Nationwide Plaza'': * One Nationwide Plaza, completed in 1977 * 280 Plaza (also known as Two Nationwide), completed in 1981 *

Three Nationwide Plaza Three Nationwide Plaza is a postmodern highrise building located at the address 3 Nationwide Plaza in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. The building is part of the larger multi-building complex known as Nationwide Plaza. Nationwide Plaza is the headqu ...

, completed in 1988 * Four Nationwide Plaza (215 N Front St), bought in 1998 http://apps.franklincountyauditor.com/ParcelSheet/010-024396-00 * 10 W. Nationwide Blvd, completed in December 2012 Other elements at Nationwide Plaza include Dean Jeffers Park and its decorative fountains, titled ''

Nationwide Fountain Nationwide Fountain is a fountain designed by sculptor Jim Ponter and architect Don Olson in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States. It is located at Nationwide Plaza, a complex of buildings including One Nationwide Plaza, and within Dean Jeffer ...

''.

Gallery

References

External links

* Skyscraper office buildings in Columbus, Ohio Office buildings completed in 1977 Harrison & Abramovitz buildings Buildings in downtown Columbus, Ohio High Street (Columbus, Ohio) {{ColumbusOH-struct-stub