American Modern: Architecture; Community; Columbus, Indiana

by Matt Shaw, Iwan Baan (photographer)

The definitive book on one of the foremost modernist cities and architecture destinations in the Columbus, IndianaThe midwestern city of Columbus, Indiana, is more than a mecca of modern architecture; it is an example of how design can help foster a remarkable community. The dozens of buildings and projects by legendary architects – from mid-century titans such as Eero Saarinen and I. M. Pei to contemporary practitioners Deborah Berke and IwamotoScott – remain integral to its urban fabric. This book explores Columbus’s optimistic program of bold new architecture and landscapes, initiated by the legendary industrialist J. Irwin Miller and local leaders, and the generations-long quest to develop the ideal American city through design excellence.This is the first in-depth history of Columbus, Indiana, demonstrating the unique convergence of civic, industrial, and social forces that produced the pre-eminent laboratory of architectural modernism in the USA. It presents a rich showcase of outstanding, generation-spanning architects and is published in association with Landmark Columbus Foundation, the civic organization behind the progressive preservation and promotion of the city’s architectural heritage, as well as the producer of the acclaimed program Exhibit Columbus, a two-year cycle of events that uses the context of Columbus to host conversations around innovative ideas and then commissions site-responsive installations in a free, public exhibition.

472 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2024

About the author

Matt Shaw grew up in a small Yorkshire village, where he enjoyed an adventurous childhood. Although, let’s be clear about this, he didn’t harm any cats.

He still lives in Yorkshire, and works on a large country estate. This provides him with inspiration for his writing. Blanks is his first novel.

Reviews

[John Schorg]

Any book about Columbus, Indiana, is going to focus on its architecture, and the best part of this one simply sits back, shows you photos of the landmarks, and lets you just soak it all in. The verbiage around it gets into the kind of detail that can leave you at sea if you are not an expert on building and design. But the photography is wonderful, and that might be enough to justify the weighty price tag here. One thing that doesn't get much attention in this book is how the downtown, with all its wonderful buildings, has very little in the way of restaurants and stores to attract people, especially in the evenings.

[*ben]

This is a delightful book that does an excellent job of displaying the special architecture of Columbus, with plenty of interior shots for the nosy such as myself. The photographs were taken during covid, which add an interesting foil in what is otherwise a straightforward sequence of images.