Wexner Center - Columbus, Ohio
Posted by: 
Mr. 0
N 39° 59.996 W 083° 00.564
17S E 328471 N 4429683
The Wexner Center for the Arts on the Ohio State University campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
Waymark Code: WM4FAE
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2008
Views: 71
The Wexner Center was completed in 1989, and was designed by Peter Eisenman. It is named for Les Wexner, who is a local businessman. He is the founder of Limited Brands, which includes Victoria Secret, and Bath and Body Works. Since Wexner was the main donor for the project, it was only natural that it be named for him.
At this location there once was an armory. It burned down in the late 1800's, and was completely removed in 1959. To hint back to the history of the location, Eisenman's design includes faux towers at the corners of the building.
Much of the east side of the building is glass and steel. Because it is used for research of the arts, there was concern that the skylights allowed too much light into the building. This could damage the works housed here. The glass was eventually covered with a film to block the light.
As mentioned before, the Wexner Center is used by the Ohio State University to study, and research various artworks on various media. In addition, a large portion of the building is a public art gallery, and has hosted many installations over the years. These displays are typically free, however on rare occasion there is a fee to enter. One such occasion was the installation of an Andy Warhol exhibit.
The building houses a film and video theater, a performance arts area, video production studios, 12,000 square feet of gallery space, a bookstore, and a giftshop.