The plan is a right triangle oriented with the long side placed diagonally across the site toward the corner of Washington and Second Streets. This presents the main facade in a strong visual relationship to Washington Street and the Bartholomew County Courthouse, and permits the building to have a traditional and handsome front lawn. The two remaining sides of the triangle parallel the adjacent streets, resulting in efficient and immediate parking for staff and visitors.

The ground floor is expressed as an architectural base, or great plinth, with its openings and orientation to the parking lots. This floor is occupied almost in its entirety by the Columbus Police Department, which has its entrance located adjacent to its own parking area.

The upper two floors contain the city's various departments, as well as a Meeting Hall and Council Chamber. These spaces open onto the Gallery, which provides general circulation, and the Gallery in turn opens onto a glazed semi-circular court which has been placed at the center of the facade. Although there is a convenient entrance from the parking lot to these floors, it is the court and the wide walk and step system to it from the corner of Washington and Second Street which constitute the real as well as the symbolic entrance to the building.

The base is cased in Indiana limestone and the upper two floors in a soft colored brick. Approaching the building from the front, one notices three powerful features: two large cantilevers spans 78' over the entrance with a 39 ½" gap in between. The open court and displays a gallery glass curtain wall that is semi-circular in form. Visitors standing on the center drain in the court area can see their reflection on each one of the 26 panels of glass.

Each of the two cantilevers is more than 35 feet long and is constructed of insulated steel covered with brick veneer. The spacious court leads to the curtain wall, which in turn provides entry to the inner circulation space, or Gallery. Each of the large glass panels of the front wall is five feet wide, more than 21 feet high and weighs almost 1500 pounds. On the inside of the wall, narrow floor-to-ceiling glass panels placed perpendicular to the main panels help give a colorful, prismatic perspective on the court outside.

Architectural details viewed from the court entrance include the terrazzo floor, the circular stairs on each end of the Gallery, the four-inch bronze hand rail, the gold leaf trim and the large oak louvered doors which separate city offices from the Gallery.

The large Meeting Hall on the main floor will accommodate up to two hundred persons. Among its key features is a recessed ceiling dome and a parquet floor. The Council Chamber on the top floor will seat 50 persons.

Decoration of the interior includes local and regional art. Major works of art by Robert Indiana and William T. Wiley are installed in the building.

On the outside of the building, the "Columbus City Hall" inscription carved in stone on the northeast corner is a symbol of enduring craftsmanship. The letters are copied from a Roman design that dates from 312 A.D. With the tradition of design from this period, a small amount of goat blood is used for coloring.

Landscaping complements the architecture and is an important addition to the city's environment. Shrubs, hedges and a canopy of trees--among them Iittle-leaf linden trees--enhance the parking areas.

Physical construction of the building was $4,500,000. Acquisition and improvement of the land were $500,000 and furniture and interior design were another $500,000. The project was financed through Federal revenue-sharing monies, the city's Cumulative Building Fund and proceeds from the sale of the old City Hall. No indebtedness was incurred.

Time Capsule Project
As a part of the community-wide Celebration 2000 festivity, items from various organizations have been encapsulated in City Hall. Each artifact represents a thread of life within the community. Current first grade students of Lincoln Elementary School will open the time capsule in the year 2050.

The Art in City Hall
Down through the centuries, from the time of the heroic sculptures of Greek civilization, there has been a history of collaboration between art and architecture. Art helps bring the colossal dimensions of architecture down to human scale and, simultaneously, satisfies deep spiritual needs and enhances the quality of life.

In Columbus, Indiana, there is a tradition of marriage of art and architecture dating from the decorative arts of the artisan-craftsmen of the last century to the more sophisticated art of today. Examples of the former are the Mississippi riverboat detail, or gingerbread, on many homes; the decorative ironwork of many fences and the pediments of the Bartholomew County Court House, and the Art Deco doors and mosaics of the Crump Theatre. Examples of more modern art in architectural settings include Loja Saarinen's tapestry of the Sermon on the Mount at the First Christian Church, Alexander Girard's "Tree of Life" at the North Christian Church, and sculpture like Harris Barron's "The Family" at Parkside School, Henry Moore's "Large Arch" at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library and Jean Tinguely's "Chaos I" at The Commons.