Overhead, the glass vaults of the Indianapolis Artsgarden arch across the crossing of Washington and Illinois streets in downtown Indianapolis. You can feel how it serves as a pedestrian connector between Circle Centre Mall and the nearby office buildings and hotels, and as a lively venue for the display and performance of artistic and musical works—more than 300 performances take place in the Artsgarden each year. Inside, the Cultural Concierge offers local arts and cultural information, maps, and visitor guides.
The entire structure, including the walkways to adjacent buildings, is owned and operated by the Indy Arts Council. Look at the engineering: the floor stands 17 feet (5.2 m) above the intersection, supported by a series of arched steel trusses that create graduated glassed vaults. The tallest vault soars 75 feet (23 m) above the floor and 95 feet (29 m) above the street.
The dome was designed by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, who also designed the adjacent Circle Centre Mall, with Blackburn Architects collaborating on design and execution. The $12 million cost was funded by the Lilly Endowment. Notice that the tallest of its glassed vaults soars 75 feet above the floor and 95 feet above the street below.