One Financial Plaza is an office tower located in the middle of the Central Business District in Springfield, Massachusetts. While the building itself has the appearance of any other in the city and across the region, what makes it distinct are the sculptures and monuments scattered across the plaza. These pieces have transformed what would otherwise be an ordinary office landscape into a place that creates engagement on multiple levels.
History, Science and Nature Personified
One Financial Plaza features numerous works by artist James Kitchen, whose work is influenced by history and theoretical physics. He uses found metal to create his artistic interpretation of scientific theories of space and time which can be seen in pieces like “Phision” and “Quantum Physics.”
There are multiple other sculptures and monuments by other artists as well though, the most notable being the One Financial Plaza Fountain. It features numerous rough-cut columns topped with a bronze eagle with wings outstretched, connecting it to the natural surroundings of the area. Water shoots up from the pool at the base of the fountain on each of the columns.
These pieces have helped attract people to One Financial Plaza, which has benefitted businesses like the Palazzo Café. Being surrounded by beautiful community artwork is one of the selling points of rental space at One Financial Plaza, providing occupants of the building and the surrounding community with a unique place to work and visit.
The endeavor to make what would otherwise be an ordinary office park into a space that attracts tenants and tourists highlights the power of monuments to transform a space from something ordinary into something extraordinary.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
The amenities of One Financial Plaza related to location, visibility, parking and more are similar to the benefits that other buildings in the area can provide. What’s different is the installation of sculptures and monuments in the plaza that has transformed the space to provide renters and visitors with something much more unique. Doing so has allowed the space to cultivate experiences in a way that creates positive benefits for stakeholders and the entire community in the short and long term.
