The Atheneum - New Harmony, IN
N 38° 07.900 W 087° 56.316
16S E 417740 N 4220839
The Atheneum (doubles as New Harmony's Visitor Center) is "modern" designed building in a historic town of New Harmony, IN
Waymark Code: WMCNKV
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 09/25/2011
Views: 3
The Atheneum is an amazing building on the edge of a historic district of New Harmony, IN. New Harmony is a former living commune from the early 1800's, with much of the town still standing for visitors. In contrast to the historic nature of the small town, The Atheneum screams out in its modernism.
Built in 1979 by Richard Meier, The Atheneum was named after the Athenaion in Greece, which is named for the god, Athena, who was considered the god of culture and civilizations. Moreover, she was the god of the changing of culture, which is truly what the Atheneum represents compared to the historic nature of the town.
The building is a 3 story design, with 4 distinct gallaries inside. There is also a movie theater that seats over 200 here, which shows a movie about the history of the town. There is also a gift shop, and scale models of the town and of buildings in the town. This is the beginning of the guided tours for the town, as the Atheneum doubles as the official visitor's center for New Harmony.
The Atheneum has won numerous awards through the years. It won the Progressive Architechture Award in 1979, the American Institute of Architects Honor Award in 1982, and the AIA 25 Year Award in 2008.
City, State or City, Country: New Harmony, IN, USA
Year Built: 1979
Architect: Richard Meier
Webpage from GreatBuildings.com or other approved listing: [Web Link]
Other website with more information about building: [Web Link]
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