Upside Down Pyramid

The Tempe Municipal Building is located in the heart of downtown Tempe at 31 East Fifth Street, between Mill and College Avenues, just north of the Arizona State University Tempe campus, and is the centerpiece of the Harry E. Mitchell Government Complex.  Adjacent to the hustle and bustle of Mill Avenue, citizens of Tempe know this building as the “upside-down pyramid.” Its unique form has made it an iconic part of the downtown atmosphere. Its distinctive form, as well as its historical impact on the city, qualifies the Tempe Municipal Building to be recognized as a local landmark. The Tempe Municipal Building exists on the site of the 1914 Tempe City Hall. When construction of a new city hall building was first discussed, city officials were strongly considering moving to a new, more geographically central, location on Rural Road and Southern Avenue to escape the deteriorating conditions of the downtown district. Architect Michael Goodwin thought otherwise and saw this as a challenge and a beginning for revitalization of downtown Tempe. Goodwin convinced officials to keep the location and designed a new building that sparked the beginning of downtown Tempe’s widely acclaimed revitalization.