Cummins Corporate Office Building

Cummins Corporate Office Building

Aerial view of the building

Aerial view, Cerealine building center
Former names Cerealine building
General information
Type Corporate headquarters
Architectural style Modernist
Address 500 Jackson Street
Town or city Columbus, Indiana
Coordinates 39°12′22″N 85°55′27″W / 39.20612°N 85.92405°W / 39.20612; -85.92405Coordinates: 39°12′22″N 85°55′27″W / 39.20612°N 85.92405°W / 39.20612; -85.92405
Completed 1983
Owner Cummins
Technical details
Structural system Precast concrete and glass
Floor area 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2)
Design and construction
Architect Kevin Roche
Architecture firm Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates

The Cummins Corporate Office Building in Columbus, Indiana is a modernist office building designed by Kevin Roche.[1] Constructed in 1983, the building serves as the corporate headquarters of the Cummins engine company. It was constructed on an old railroad yard and is unique for being built around the Cerealine Building, which was Cummins' first factory building.[2]

Background

Cummins CEO J. Irwin Miller had "a lifelong interest in architecture", and in the 1950s established a foundation to pay architecture fees for new public buildings in Columbus and Bartholomew County.[3] When Cummins decided to construct a new corporate headquarters, it turned to Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Kevin Roche.[4]

Structure

The building is built on a three-block plot of land that formerly served as a rail yard in downtown Columbus. As part of its distinctive construction, Roche built the new precast concrete structure around the original Cerealine Building, which served as Cummins' first factory and administrative officers.[2][5] The original building was also renovated to serve as the cafeteria for the employees of the company.[2]

Roche used precast concrete and glass as his primary building elements in the 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) building.[6] Jack Curtis executed the landscaping for the facility, including the large open green area on the eastern side that is open to the public as a park.[6] As of 2013, it remained in use as Cummins' corporate headquarters.[7]

Sculpture

As part of the construction, Roche incorporated a Rudolph de Harak sculpture known as the "Exploded Engine," in the lobby of the building.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Breining, Greg (2007-08-24). "Columbus, Indiana: Modernism on the prairie". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  2. 1 2 3 Sullivan, Mary Ann. "Cummins Engine Company". Bluffton University. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  3. "The Cummins Foundation: History". Cummins. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
  4. "Kevin Roche". The Hyatt Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  5. "Columbus Indiana Pictures and Photos From Bygone Days". Historic Columbus Indiana. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  6. 1 2 Clerkin, Paul (2009). "Architects of Ireland - Kevin Roche". Archiseek.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
  7. "Cummins building blends in with city by design". WISHTV.com. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-12-28.
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