Bank of America Corporate Center

DESCRIPTION:
Rising 60 stories from the heart of uptown Charlotte, the most commanding focal point on the skyline is the office tower at Bank of America Corporate Center. This architectural achievement, designed by Cesar Pelli, the 1994 AIA Gold Medal Winner, climbs 871 feet into the sky and is accented by a brilliantly illuminated, sculptured crown. Bank of America Corporate Center is not only an imposing landmark, but also the city’s nucleus for business, shopping, dining, entertainment, and the arts. Located at Trade and Tryon, the historic crossroads known as “The Square,” consists of five components: the 1.2 million square foot office tower; Founder’s Hall, a spectacular wintergarden enclosed by a 100-foot tall atrium which serves as a grand public arena and an 85,000 square foot retail plaza; the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center which attracts world-class performers to its 2,200-seat, acoustically-advanced theater; an additional 450-seat theater; and a 1,600-space parking garage with skyway access to the Bank of America Corporate Center.

YEAR COMPLETED:
1992

TOTAL COST:
$300,000,000

DESIGN ARCHITECT:
Cesar Pelli Architects - New Haven, Connecticut

PRODUCTION ARCHITECT:
HKS INC. - Dallas, Texas

CONTRACTOR:
McDevitt – Street - Charlotte, North Carolina

EXTERIOR FEATURES:
The tower rises from a granite-paved plaza that features granite-lined cascading waterfalls. The tower was constructed with a reinforced concrete frame and covered in Agate granite with verdi green columns at the base. The tower’s main shaft is clad in beige granite piers that become progressively narrow and thin at each setback.

INTERIOR FEATURES:
The lobby features patterned marble floors with high sculptured ceilings and granite walls. A three-part fresco by artist Ben Long was commissioned, each section measures 23 feet by 18 feet. The floor of Founder’s Hall is covered with a pattern marble design, and the 100-foot high ceiling creates a large volume space that includes a water feature and two large granite stairways encircling a permanent stage for events. The entire space is surrounded by two levels of restaurants, retail, and building services. Founder’s Hall, designed to become the city’s “living room,” is a wonderful amenity for the building and a great pre-function area for the performing arts center.

DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS:
Lincoln Property Company (LPC) was responsible for overseeing every aspect of the planning, regulatory approvals, design, and construction of Bank of America Corporate Center. On one city block, LPC simultaneously constructed the office tower, Founder’s Hall, the 1,600-space parking garage, and skyways to link the project to parking and other nearby buildings. The development of the performing arts center was supervised by others, with LPC providing coordination between the projects. The parabolic curve of the tower’s exterior edge created a difficult forming concern for this type of structural concrete frame. LPC’s design and construction team developed an effective process that kept construction on-schedule and met specified design tolerances. LPC led design and construction professionals in successfully creating the nearly 10-story ornate crown atop the building – an architectural ornamentation that had never before been attempted. The crown consists of 384 specially designed and fabricated aluminum rods, varying in length from 12 to 62 feet and weighing between 800 and 4,500 pounds each. A total of 350 light fixtures illuminate the crown at night.

LEASING PERFORMANCE:
The 1.2 million square foot tower was 34% leased at ground breaking. Lincoln’s team developed and executed a marketing program that resulted in 70% occupancy at opening, rising to 95% within nine months.