The Coke Side of Life: 10 Hidden Gems Found Inside a 1931 Art Deco Bottling Plant

I’ve always had an affinity for Coca-Cola history & collectibles.  I talked my parents into going to the original location of the World of Coca-Cola museum in Atlanta when it opened in 1990 at the height of my Coke obsession.  Even though I’ve since stopped drinking soft drinks, I’m still fascinated by the story of Coke.  I’ve also been a fan of Art Deco architecture since high school, so when I heard Indiana Landmarks was hosting a one-time tour of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis in August, I leapt at the chance to go.  Luckily I bought tickets well in advance, because the tour sold out soon after it was announced. The property is going to be developed by Hendricks Commercial Properties, with work starting next Spring, so this was a unique opportunity to peek inside the original building before it’s transformed into Bottleworks, featuring a hotel, restaurants, apartments, a movie theater, and retail shops.  The company plans to preserve, patch and clean every tile of the glazed terra cotta exterior and also keep most of the interior features of the plant, while ensuring new construction is aesthetically compatible.

History

The Coca Cola Bottling Plant was designed by Indianapolis architectural firm Rubush and Hunter, who designed almost 200 buildings in Indy, including other well-known landmarks such as the Columbia Club and Circle Theatre which is still in use.

It opened in 1931 with a dazzling white Art Deco exterior, which is still impressive 86 years later.  By 1954 it was the world’s largest bottling plant, producing over 2 million bottles of Coke a week.  When cans became popular in the 1960s, bottle production waned and the plant closed.  Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, bought the property in 1964 to store his car collection, then sold it to Indianapolis Public Schools in 1968, who used it as a training facility, central kitchen, and bus depot/service center until last year.  Hendricks Commercial Properties closed on the purchase from IPS this week.

Ten Highlights from the Tour

1. Executive Offices The opulent offices of the brothers who operated the Coca Cola bottling plant, Leo and James Yuncker, were a tour highlight.  RATIO Design, the architecture firm who was hired to do the renovation of the property, will be preserving the magnificent features of the building, such as these flower pattern molded ceilings.  The developer plans to turn the offices into hotel conference rooms.

   

   

   

2. Soda Fizz Ceiling  The light fixture above the staircase just inside the main entrance has an effervescent appearance evocative of Coca-Cola.  The Coke theme is evident in the stairway’s other details such as the railing which has a bubbly fountain pattern.

   

   

   

3. Art Deco Refrigerator  How cool is this wood built-in refrigerator with detailed silver panels between the two executive offices?  It’s slated to become operational again when the building is redeveloped.

   

4. Executive Bathroom  The colorful tiles, a fabulous green sink and toilet, and the details on the mirror and around the light fixture are fabulous.

   

5. The Floor That Coke Ate  Terrazzo floors in the bottling room are eroded and rough due to acidic Coke constantly being spilled while the bottles were filled.

   

6. The Tasting Room This room was super showy since it was used to showcase the plant’s operations to visitors.  The bottling line ran through the tasting room so people could see bottles being filled with Coke.  All historic tiles will be kept and restored.  The panels and moldings have a coca plant motif in them.  The cement walls IPS added used to be floor to ceiling windows.  The windows will be added back in to make the room appear as it originally did, and the tasting room will become the hotel lobby.

   

   

   

7. Garages  The garages used to house Coca-Cola delivery trucks.  Their Art Deco exterior matches the main bottling plant.  Inside are red brick walls, metal frame ceilings and iron pipes that will be preserved during the renovation.   This area will become a 30,000 square foot food hall called The Garage featuring at least twenty different markets and restaurants with seating for 500.

   

   

8. Deco Details

   

   

   

9. Fab Floors

   

   

   

10. Accounting Department There was a fantastic story shared about how this wasn’t the original safe at the plant because robbers drove into the room and blew it up.  I wish I could recall the details, but it was the second to last tour stop and I was looking forward to getting to The Eagle to try their famous fried chicken for the first time.