Influenced by the leading modernists of his day, architect Evans Woollen introduced startling new ideas about what a building could be into their notoriously conservative city and state. Spanning the course of a six-decade career of a Hoosier architect, Woollen was responsible for transforming the architectural profile of Indianapolis, Indiana today.
What A Building Does: The Hoosier Modernisms of Evans Woollen illuminates concrete Brutalism architecture to Indianapolis. His practice was in fact surprisingly wide-ranging,spanning diverse styles, typologies and scales-from significant public structures that are today some of Indianapolis' most recognizable buildings, to humble churches, single-family homes, and historic renovations. Visit Indianapolis today, and you'd be hard pressed not to encounter one of Woollen's designs.
Drawing on new photography, never-before-seen archival material, and dozens of interviews with former colleagues, clients, and friends, What A Building Does adds a new and fascinating chapter to the history of modern architecture and its trajectory in the American Midwest.
