Tempe Municipal Building

The Tempe Municipal Building is an inverted pyramid-shaped building which serves as the city hall of Tempe, Arizona. It was designed by architects Michael Goodwin and Kemper Goodwin, and built during 1969-1971.[1]

Tempe Municipal Building
Location of Tempe Municipal Building in Arizona
General information
TypeInverted pyramid
Architectural styleModern
Address31 East 5th Street
Town or cityTempe, Arizona
CountryUnited States
Coordinates33°25′29.79″N 111°56′18.51″W
Construction started1969
Completed1971
InauguratedOctober 2, 1971
OwnerCity of Tempe
Technical details
Floor count3
Floor area17,650 sqft
Design and construction
ArchitectMichael Goodwin, Kemper Goodwin
Architecture firmMichael & Kemper Goodwin Ltd.
Structural engineerHanlyn, Mann, and Anderson
Main contractorM. M. Sundt Construction Company, Phoenix, Arizona
Website
tempe.gov/city-hall


Design & Construction

The first design Michael Goodwin proposed was a large concrete building, similar to Boston City Hall. The city council rejected his design. The next was a structure that terraced down the slope of Tempe Bute. The council also rejected this undersign. Goodwin came up with the idea of an inverted pyramid while in the shower. He saw how light shine across the shower door at 45-degree angles.[2][3] In 1966 the Goodwin firm drew up the plans for the new municipal building. The building's inverted pyramidal shape helps in keeping the building cool in summer and warm in winter.[4] The ground floor comprises only 2,025 square feet (188.1 m2) of reception space, while the second floor is 5,625 square feet (522.6 m2) and the third floor 10,000 square feet (930 m2). The council chambers are in a semi-buried basement level. The building is flanked by free-standing fire stair towers.[1] Ground was broken in 1969. The contractor selected was M. M. Sundt Construction Company of Phoenix. The building was completed in 1971 and inaugurated on October 2nd of that year.

Renovations

In July 2019 the first phase of a decade long renovation began. The first phase includes renovation of the plaza level council chambers which haven't been updated since the late 1980s. The council chamber renovation is expected to be completed in early 2020. The second phase is a renovation to the west garden level. The other phases include renovations to the interior of the building and new heating and air conditioning equipment. The four phase renovation is expected to be completed by the end of the 2020s.[5][6][3]

  • Lobby level, looking east
  • Lobby level, looking northeast
  • Lobby level, looking northwest
  • Plaza level entrance
  • Plaza level gardens
  • View of the entire complex
  • Lobby level with mature trees
  • View of the building from behind mature trees
  • View from lobby level with ramps connecting the building to the fire stair tower.
  • Fire stair tower at center
  • View from lobby level with fire stair tower at right
  • Close up view of the inverted pyramid
  • Plaza level gardens and access stairs
  • Building plaque

See also
  • Buildings and structures in Tempe, Arizona
  • Modernist architecture in Arizona

References
  1. Corder, Maryanne C. (August 28, 1981). "Tempe Municipal Building" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey.
  2. "Tempe City Hall designer Goodwin remembered for environmental vision".
  3. "Tempe's iconic upside-down pyramid to get work as it nears 50 years".
  4. Toscas, Mariana (January 1, 2012). "Arizona's Avant-Garde Architecture". Journal of Property Management: 34–35. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  5. "Tempe City Hall Renovations | City of Tempe, AZ". www.tempe.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  6. "Tempe closing City Council chambers for renovations until 2020". KTAR.com. 2019-06-30. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
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