AT&T Switching Station

Paul Kennon of Caudill, Rowlett, Scott designed this building in 1978.

Distinctive for its mirrored glass facade and its primary colored accents, the building houses electronic equipment. Originally a three-story brick building, Indiana Bell commissioned Paul Kennon to add an addition and create a new cohesive design on a transitional site, joining the business district and one of the community’s older residential areas.

Kennon’s solution was to unify the existing building and the new addition by encasing both in a skin of reflective glass. Giant yellow, orange, red, and blue “organ pipes” on the west alley side of the building provide a colorful accent, and have become an iconic image of the modern architecture of Columbus (and a great spot for Facebook or Instagram photos).

The majority of the trellis structure and the pear trees, an integral part of the original design concept, were removed when birds became a nuisance.

The AIA (American Institute of Architects) gave the building an Honor award in 1980, describing it as, “a delightfully whimsical solution to the use of mirrored glass.”