One Atlantic Center

Description

One Atlantic Center, also known as IBM Tower, is a skyscraper located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia.HistoryIt is the third-tallest in Atlanta, reaching a height of 820ft with 50 stories of office space with a total building area of 1,187,676 sq.ft. It was completed in 1987 and remained the tallest building in Atlanta until 1992, when it was surpassed by the Bank of America Plaza, which was also built in Midtown. It was also the tallest building in the southeastern U.S. at the time of completion, surpassing the Southeast Financial Center in Miami.DesignThe building was commissioned by Prentiss Properties as a southeastern headquarters for IBM, a company responsible for many notable skyscrapers of the 1980s. Aside from introducing Atlanta to the postmodern architectural idiom of the 80s, this tower is notable for essentially creating what is now the Midtown commercial district. Located at the then-remote corner of 14th and West Peachtree Street over a mile from Downtown, this building nevertheless opened nearly fully occupied and thus attracted developers to Midtown in droves.ArchitectureThe building's exterior is clad in pink Spanish granite and culminates in a copper pyramidal top with a gold peak. The design includes gothic flourishes, most noticeably below the copper top of the building. At night the peak and ridges along the top are illuminated brightly, creating a glowing effect.