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The Bloch Cancer Survivors’ Plaza is located on The Ohio State University's main campus in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The plaza is within the one-acre park, sitting on the intersection of Olentangy and Lane Avenue (the Northeast corner). It was created due to a large $1,000,000 donation from Richard Bloch. This funded the construction as well as maintenance for the entirety of the park as well. The structures in this site are gazabo-like, and a very open structure (not an actual building).
| Bloch Cancer Survivors' Plaza | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Type | Cancer Survivor Plaza |
| Architectural style | Contemporary |
| Location | Ohio State University |
| Address | Bloch Cancer Survivors Plaza, 2180
Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH 43210 |
| Town or city | Columbus, Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40° 0.435' N, 83° 1.361'W |
| Groupbreaking | Friday, April 7, 1995 |
| Inauguration | May 23, 1996 |
| Cost | $1,317,805.00 |
| Sculpture deisgner | Milosav Cekic |
| Broze Sculpture designer | Victor Salmones |
| Park designer | Cekic Architects |
History[edit]
In 1980, Bloch recovered from cancer and sought to spread his goodwill by constructing this plaza in Columbus with help from his wife Annette. He personally chose this location out of five lots in Columbus and chose this one due to its large car traffic. He also chose Columbus because of its high population; he tends to build parks in areas that are considered Metropolitain cities with over a million people.
There are many sculptures and inspirational plaques located around the premises. This includes 8 large life size human sculptures passing through a “maze of symbolic doors”. These statues symbolize the journey of recovery when suffering with the disease. Another sculpture was created by the famous Mexican sculptor Victor Salmones, which shows the triumph of recovered cancer patients later in their life. The final sculpture is a floating sphere fountain that features a polished two-ton sphere that rests upon a special 8-ton boulder brought from Germany. In addition to this, the plaza features a “Positive Mental Health Walk” that consists of 14 plaques. Four of these plaques have inspirational messages and 10 of them have instructional messages. This plaza leads you into a path. Its accessible to the sidewalks over the major street. The trail is near the side of the Olentangy connecting you to Mable Ave/ The Longaberger Alumni House.
The leading architect for this monument was Milosav Cekic, who designed the other plazas as well. He was present at the dedication along with the Blochs, Mayor of Columbus Greg Lashutka, Ohio’s First Lady, and many other important figures in the Ohio State community. Opening night was attend by over 350 people. This is the only parks by these organizations on a university. The other are located in Houston, Kanas's city, New Orleans and Cleaveland.
Architecture[edit]
The plaza consists of a large one-story structure complete with a fountain under a roundly designed roof, as well as walking paths that surround the structure. Other elements consist of a connector road to the Fawcett Center, sculpture walls, and a six-space parking lot. The intent of this structure was to create a place for thoughtful meditation in a place of nature, and to inspire the visitors with uplifting and positive messages. On the top of the roof, a statue of an arrowed structure rests upon the top. The entrance to the structure is lined with large pillars that are topped with spheres. In the middle of the plaza, there is a large floating sphere sculpture and off to the sides, there are numerous others. This includes the striking design of 8 life-size statues, navigating through doors to symbolize a journey through cancer and recovery. An interactive computer containing the names of central Ohioans who have survived cancer is available as well. Finally, a “positive mental health walk” contains 14 plaques of uplifting messages, meant to guide those dealing with cancer and others who may be looking for guidance. The lead architect on this project was Milosav Cekic.
References[edit]
Bloch Cancer Survivors' Plaza Retrieved on September 15
Bloch Cancer Survivors' Plaza, The Ohio State University Retrieved on September 15
The Latern Retrieved on September 19
Contributors to the Page[edit]
Ella Hancock was in charge of the photos of the structure and its accessibility. Isaiah Heyman served as the researcher and gathered a large portion of the information that has been presented here. Cammie Konich served as the editor, reviewer and entered the data on this Wikipedia page.