Circle Tower
Circle Tower | |
Art Deco | |
Part of | Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District (ID97001179) |
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Significant dates | |
Groundbreaking | July 2, 1929 |
Added to NRHP | September 26, 1997 |
Circle Tower is a 14-story high rise at 55 Monument Circle in
The building was designed by
Planning
The Tower Realty Company was approved to build on the site in 1929. By May 1929 the site was cleared by razing buildings which included the State Savings and Trust and the Franklin buildings.[1] There was also the four-story building of the Starr Piano Company on the site which had to be purchased and razed. The piano store's 99-year lease also had to be purchased by the Tower Realty Company.[2]
The Circle Tower building construction, including the 99 year lease of the piano company, was $1.7 million (equivalent to $30,165,116 in 2023). The Indianapolis Star reported that the lobby and walls would feature imported marble, carved granite, limestone and bronze, and that automatic elevators would be installed.[1] The architects announced that their design would be a nine-story building with five additional stories erected on the set-back principle of construction.[2] By October 3, 1929, most of the structure's exterior had been built.[3]
History
Circle Tower was completed in 1930 and is located on
The Chicago co-working company Expansive purchased the building from Ambrose Property Group for $11.65 million in 2017. The buyer intended to renovate parts of the building for
Design
The building was designed by
The highest stories of the building are ziggurat-like, tapering back from the lower stories. A 1922 city ordinance limited buildings on the Circle to a height of no more than 108 ft (33 m). Rubush and Hunter were able to incorporate the set-back upper levels to make the building taller.[7]
Gallery
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Photochrom of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument ca. 1904 before Circle Tower
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Monument Circle, with Circle Tower on the left (2014)
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Circle Tower (2012)
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Circle Tower Egyptian design elements
See also
References
- ^ a b "Contract is Let for Erection of 14-Story Tower". The Indianapolis Star. May 19, 1929. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Lease Acquired on Piano Store". The Indianapolis Star. July 14, 1929. p. 12. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "Circle Tower Rising". The Indianapolis Times. October 3, 1929. p. 3. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "ini Art Deco Circle Tower". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Memory Bank: Circle Tower builds up in 1929". Indianapolis Business Journal. November 20, 2020. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Shuey, Mickey (August 22, 2023). "Circle Tower owner facing foreclosure for alleged nonpayment". Indianapolis Business Journal. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Washington Street – Monument Circle Historic District". nps.gov. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
Exterior links
- Media related to Circle Tower, Indianapolis at Wikimedia Commons