The new public plaza currently under construction north of Gainbridge Fieldhouse officially has a name — as well as plans for two art installations.
The plaza
Call it “Bicentennial Unity Plaza” — named in conjunction with the 200th birthday of Indianapolis in 2021.
Thanks to a $28.47 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., the new plaza will be home to:
- A community basketball court that will be converted into a seasonal ice rink
- Community activities + public performances
- Public restrooms for daytime use + when the ice rink is open
The art
The centerpiece of the plaza, titled “Together,” will be a 30-ft tall, 110-ft-long arced stainless steel + limestone sculpture by Honduras-based artist Herman Mejia. In a release, Herman said the piece has a “philosophical connection to the Landmark for Peace memorial at Kennedy King Park.”
“Together” will span the width of the plaza with two arcs that reach toward each other, coming together at a keystone made of Indiana limestone. “Together” will serve as the gateway to the plaza, but will also feature reflective alcoves + lighting for capturing photos.
The second art installation, called “Sphere,” will also be interactive within its dome-like structure with two kinetic screens that can project live images of visitors and randomly selected photos of landmarks across Indianapolis. To pay homage to the home of the Indiana Pacers and Fever, the height of the domed art installation will be 23 ft, 9 inches — matching the distance from the NBA 3-point line to the basket.
Construction of the plaza is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
