We are at our best when we collaborate; communities thrive when citizens share a commitment to the future. This is perfectly illustrated in Columbus, Indiana, the site of many an architecture student’s pilgrimage. Here, a family’s dedication to modern design led to a rich, and arguably unmatched, urban tapestry. Today the city represents something important, and through the efforts of a new generation of locals, the hoped-for future for this "Athens of the Prairie" is secure.

Inaugurated in 2016, Exhibit Columbus, led by Landmark Columbus director Richard McCoy, is an annual exploration of design and architecture. Through temporary site-specific installations conceived by the global design community and fabricated by local makers using local materials, Exhibit Columbus represents the next chapter for the city.

J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Installations

Following a juried competition, five firms respond to iconic sites in the city. The following installations will be on view August 26–November 26 in Columbus, Indiana. Read an interview with the curator, designer Jonathan Nesci, here.

Detour: Columbus, Indiana

A tremendous number of design destinations await visitors to Columbus. We’ve plotted the sites we photographed for this feature, as well as several of the city’s seven National Historic Landmarks. The Miller House and Garden, not shown here, is located in a residential area and is accessible only via a tour that begins at the Columbus Visitors Center.

See/Do/Read

Continue learning about the “Athens of the Prairie.”

-- Our photographic appreciation of the city, published in the July/August 2017 issue "Ideas for Life".

-- Exhibit Columbus (August 26–November 26)

-- Alexander Girard: A Designer’s Universe (June 17–October 8) at the Cranbrook Art Museum

-- Columbus Indiana: A Look at Architecture by Paul Rand