Indiana Tower

Indiana Tower was the proposed centerpiece of White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. Designed by César Pelli in 1980, the plan was ultimately scrapped.

Proposal

As part of the downtown revitalization campaign for Indianapolis, the state solicited designs for a distinctive piece of skyline architecture in the tradition of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis or the Space Needle in Seattle. The Pelli tower would be located in the new Indiana Landing area of Indianapolis (which became White River State Park). The Pelli design called for an obelisk 750 feet tall, with a diameter of 130 feet at the base and 64 feet at the peak that would "establish the Crossroads of America". As such, the design would have been taller than the Arch, the Washington Monument, and the Statue of Liberty, and would have cost $25 million in 1980.

Failure

The design was met with little local support. Some residents feared it too closely resembled a corncob, which would further the stereotype of Indiana as wholly rural. Others believed the bold nature of the design would overshadow the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, which had been the historic focal point of the city's design. The park took shape and thrived without its vertical landmark. However, following the success of the rest of the revitalization campaign, there have been renewed calls for construction of the tower. Pelli himself remains fond of the design, insisting that if the opportunity to make the project a reality materialized, he'd "jump at it, of course."

External links

• Emporis profile
• NUVO article on the design