by Zach Slonsky

Precedence of Manhattan Flatiron, first New York City skyscraper

Columbus Flatiron as it is today

When people hear the “Flatiron” most people think of the famous building located in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Many people would perhaps not think that Columbus, Ohio has its own version of this building on the corner of Locust and Lazelle street, facing North Fourth Street. (perhaps talk about how many cities have a replication of this building, such as Pittsburg, Atlanta, or Boulder) This building has an extensive history starting in 1914. It was built by Herbert Aloysius whose name is still inscribed in a rock on the top of the building. Originally, this place offered a small saloon and grocery store, as well as a few apartments on the upper two floors. It was a very popular destination for the railroad builders that worked on the Columbus-Toledo rail line just north of the building.

Its uses varied somewhat over time. For a time the saloon on the first floor of the building became a restaurant,  as a result of prohibition legislation. They later reverted this restaurant back into a bar. The top two floors are currently being renovated into updated apartments.

This building is noted for its very thin construction. Due to the thin plot of land it was built on, this building wedges down to an astonishing 8 feet on its smallest side. This is peculiar considering it is a full four stories tall at any given point. Also, as a result of this plot, this building is organized in a very linear fashion. It relates to a central axis originating from the crux of E Nationwide St. and Lazelle St.

Figure/Ground map of the site near the Flatiron

Despite being four stories tall, the facade is split into three layers. This split is shown by the grid of windows and makes it clear in showing a tripartite organization. Another thing to notice about the materials of the exterior is there is a noticeable change in brick tone. This is the result of a recent renovation that saved the building from the same fate many other historic buildings in Columbus have shared, demolition.

This facade is further organized by a datum of windows and implied windows adorning the century old brick. Implied windows being where the space defined by the datum is marked by stones, but not glass, resulting in reinforcement of this pattern despite a window not being in every space.

Other details in this space are the use of pointed arches on top of the first floor windows and doors. These show Gothic influence on the design of the project. This is a fairly typical thing to see for buildings built in this time period. Early 19 century US buildings typically fell into a style of architecture known as Gothic revival. The premise of this style was to Other notable buildings such as the Ohio Statehouse also fall into this category.

Citations:

“Google Maps.” Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

“Building History.” Flatiron Bar and Diner. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

“Gothic Revival.” Architectural Styles of America and Europe. N.p., 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

by Zach Slonsky

Aerial view of the Oval as it is today

Figure/Ground diagram of the Oval and surrounding area

The Oval is certainly a quintessential part of The Ohio State University’s campus. One could think of the space as a genius loci for the university, truly acting as a symbol for Ohio State. However, the Oval hasn’t always been the place it is today. This is a space that has been constantly evolving for more than a century. In the beginning there was only the library and University Hall in the area that defines the Oval today. This lawn outside was originally used for livestock to graze. It wasn’t until 1901 that this space began to resemble the oval shaped figural void that it is today. Back when the Oval started to become the Oval, it was nothing more than a grassy stretch of land adjacent to a number of important academic buildings. As it is still used today, faculty and students would use this space for anything between leisure activities to events put on by the university. The paths on this lawn began to evolve gradually from the natural circulation students had when traveling between classes.

Original plan of Axes set to organize the space

Paths created by students

These axes students created walking began to build relationships between the different buildings occupying the space as well as with the campus as a whole. Some examples of this would be the axes shared between the Thompson Library and High Street (the “long walk”), Derby and Orton Hall, and Hagerty and Hayes Hall. These axes help organize the space by defining certain boundaries. The long walk axis acts as a separation between north and south campus, and shows a clear symmetry between the two sides.

Long walk axis relates perpendicularly to High St.

Horizontal X-axis splits the oval into two symmetric parts

There are also several notable points on the lawn that help organize the space as well. For example, there are certain boulders such as the one outside Orton Hall, the latitude stone, or the Bucket and Dipper rock outside Pomerene hall. Some of these rocks mark historical significance, others stand in memory of our fallen students such as the class of 1892’s memorial rock that was retrofitted with a plaque in 1917 to honor those who fought in World War 1. Another rock that sits outside of Lazenby Hall marks the 1897 founding of the fraternity Alpha Zeta. Rocks aside, other points on the Oval still have significance. Trees such as the Five Brothers, Vietnam Memorial, or the Kittle Memorial Tree stand dedicated in remembrance of specific faculty members or students. Another important spot in the Oval is the Sphinx Plaza where a statue of William Oxley Thompson stands, acting a key monument for the Oval.

While Ohio State has many famous sites such as the Horseshoe, the RPAC, or the Wexner Center, what really distinguishes the Oval is that it isn’t a building at all. It is rather a prime example of effective and enduring landscape architecture. With an increasingly large student body every year, the Oval is important in contrasting against this city acting atmosphere. Having such a well maintained public green space in the midst of such a populated, fast-paced environment truly is a great amenity for the university.

Citations:

Herrick, John H. “The OSU Oval.” The OSU Oval. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

“Google Maps.” Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.