Ohio Stadium represents more than one of the most spectacular venues for college football. It represents audacity, confidence, and most of all, genius. The conception and construction represent important inspiration for a community that aspires to be intelligent and innovative—and to be recognized for these traits.
The year 2012 marks the 90th anniversary of Ohio Stadium, one of the country’s most innovative structures when it was built in 1922. The year 2012 also marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of Columbus, Ohio. Together, these two milestones provide an important opportunity to tell the story of the stadium’s creation and its connection to the broader community.
BUILD IT! The Genius of Ohio Stadium, is an exhibit at Ohio State’s Knowlton School of Architecture’s Banvard Gallery on display through October 24. Conceived as part of a studio course taught by Jamie Greene and Sarah Bongiorno, the exhibit conveys the origins of the stadium, the key players that made it happen, obstacles they faced, and the collaboration across the State that made it all possible. A portion of the exhibit will be dedicated to the stadium’s unassuming but prolific architect, Howard Dwight Smith.
Drawings, photographs and memorabilia of the fundraising, construction and first games at Ohio Stadium will be on display. In addition, Howard Dwight Smith’s remarkable impact on the City’s built environment from 1920 to 1950—beyond Ohio Stadium— will be revealed.
This exhibit is sponsored by the College of Engineering, Knowlton School of Architecture, WOSU, 200Columbus, ARC Color Services and ACP Visioning+Planning.
