The more accurate title would be Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, Indiana War Memorial Plaza, American Legion Mall and other architectural things in the heart of downtown Indy.
Verbose, right?
In fairness, my shoot on June 24, 2008, started out with the downtown central library as the destination because the previous year IMCPL opened a massive, six-story glass and steel frame addition behind the original library structure. And I was curious about what I could grab of the new complex with my camera.
The 1917 original Greek Doric style building, designed by Paul Philippe Cret, was considered one of the most outstanding secular buildings in the U.S. when it opened. The addition, designed by Indianapolis architect Evans Woollen, includes a soaring atrium and underground parking garage and, most notably, a curved glass curtainwall façade. It also has a bridge that connects the original and contemporary structures.
Above: The front of the American Legion National Headquarters in American Legion Mall.
Above: The Minton-Capehart Federal Building, 575 N. Pennsylvania St. It is one of two federal buildings downtown. The other is the original Birch Bayh Federal Building at 46 E. Ohio St.
Above: At this point, I was shooting from the top (sixth) floor of the former Indianapolis Star parking garage at Vermont and Delaware streets. This is a closeup of the damaged windows in the Regions Bank Building on East New York Street.
Above and below: Two views of the Indiana War Memorial and Museum in War Memorial Plaza.
As the photo leading off the photo shows, the glass-facade addition isn't something you can capture from the "front."
I captured the original Roman column structure's front just fine from this position on the steps of the Indiana War Memorial in the downtown plaza.
You can see the addition a little better in the first two longer-range perspective photos below. You also can see American Legion Mall, the mall areas immediately across the street from the original library building, as well as the north end of Indiana War Memorial Plaza and its iconic fountain.
But then I decided to go inside the library and check things out. What I saw -- and photographed -- appears in the photos below the shot of the American Legion National Headquarters.
The 10,000-square foot soaring atrium in the 2007 IMCPL Central Library addition is a sight to behold ... and to appreciate the massive and sprawling cable support system as show in the photos above and below.
Above and below: When I reached the addition's top floor, I saw the downtown city skyline, beginning with these looks (above and first two photos below below) south toward the heart of downtown. In front of the Indiana War Memorial in the center is Obelisk Square, and the tall skyscraper behind it is the then-Chase Bank Tower, which today is known as the Salesforce Tower. To the left is the 36-floor former Indiana National Bank tower, which at the time was undergoing repairs to dozens of damages glass panels from a tornado strike. Today it is known as Regions Bank Tower. Behind it you can see what was then the 31-floor M&I Bank. Today, it is BMO Bank.
In 2008, Anthem Inc. had this office building north of the central library, even though its headquarters at the time was on Monument Circle. It has since made its home at 222 Virginia Avenue south of Washington Street and expanded its campus there in the Fletcher Place historic district.
The tall twin towers on the right are Riley Towers apartments with the iconic 208-foot tower of Old National Centre (formerly Murat Shrine Temple) in between them. The large skyscraper on the left are the 15-floor Lugar Towers, a public and subsidized home for seniors and/or people with disabilities.
Scottish Rite Cathedral (above), 650 N. Meridian St., and Meridian Arch Condos (below), 802 N. Meridian St.
Today, the residential towers at 402 N. Meridian St. pictured above are known as the Blacherne Apartments. I'm not sure what they were known as in 2008.
Coming tomorrow: Chapter 11, First shoot using RAW format
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