Strollie

Columbus, United States

Irwin Conference Center

Columbus, United States

Irwin Conference Center
Photo: Reywas92 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

Find out more

In Columbus, Indiana, the Irwin Conference Center stands as a modernist landmark designed by Eero Saarinen for the Irwin Union Bank. Completed in 1955 after construction began in 1953, the main banking hall features a distinctive square footprint with a glass facade and concrete roof articulated by nine shallow domes. Saarinen's 1954 design was complemented by an original three-story office wing set back from the street; his associates Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo added a second three-story annex in 1973, connected to the main building by a steel-and-glass arcade. Landscape architect Dan Kiley designed the surrounding grounds, which include lawn, trees, and a drive-through facility. The interior of the main banking hall preserves its open-plan design with tellers' counters and conference areas, while a basement contains additional service spaces. Commissioned by architectural patron J. Irwin Miller, the building's critical acclaim secured its designation as a National Historic Landmark for its architectural significance.

Architect

Type
bank building
Heritage
National Register of Historic Places listed place, National Historic Landmark
Place
Columbus, United States

This building on

Architecturally similar


Location

39.20360, -85.92140