Truist Plaza is a 60

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The larger of the city's two other commercial districts ( Midtown and Buckhead), it is the location of many corporate and regional headquarters; city, county ...

. It was designed by John C. Portman, Jr. of

John Portman & Associates John Calvin Portman Jr. (December 4, 1924 – December 29, 2017) was an American neofuturistic architect and real estate developer widely known for popularizing hotels and office buildings with multi-storied interior atria. Portman also had a pa ...

and built from 1989 to 1992. In the mid-1990s, Portman sold half of his interest in the building to

SunTrust Banks SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...

, which then moved its headquarters to the building and prompted a name change from One Peachtree Center to SunTrust Plaza. In 2021 the building changed its name to Truist Plaza, following a merger between SunTrust Banks and

BB&T BB&T Corporation (previously known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company) was one of the largest banking and financial services firms in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge ...

. The building is also known as 303 Peachtree. The building has a roof height of 871 feet (265 m) and stands a total of 902 feet (275 m) tall, including its antenna. When completed, Truist Plaza stood as the world's 28th tallest building and 21st tallest building in the United States. It is currently the 55th

tallest building in the United States The world's first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885. Since then, the United States has been home to some of the world's tallest skyscrapers. New York City, specifically the borough of Manhattan, notably has the tallest skyline in the cou ...

and 2nd tallest building in Atlanta.

History

Architect and developer

John C. Portman, Jr. John Calvin Portman Jr. (December 4, 1924 – December 29, 2017) was an American neofuturistic architect and real estate developer widely known for popularizing hotels and office buildings with multi-storied interior atria. Portman also had a pa ...

originally conceived this building in the 1980s commercial real-estate frenzy as a speculative office building. Its basic design elements, a

postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...

square tower with an elaborate base and crown, represented a departure for Portman from his earlier International-style work, and are said to have been inspired by

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect best known for his works of modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the po ...

's wildly successful design for

midtown Atlanta Midtown Atlanta, or Midtown, is a high-density commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The exact geographical extent of the area is ill-defined due to differing definitions used by the city, residents, and local business ...

One Atlantic Center One Atlantic Center, also known as IBM Tower, is a skyscraper located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. It is the third tallest building in Atlanta. History It is the third-tallest in Atlanta, reaching a height of with 50 stories of office space wi ...

. Ground broke in 1989 with great fanfare, but by completion in 1992, the bottom had fallen out of Atlanta's real estate market and the building sat largely empty, nearly forcing Portman into bankruptcy and causing him to lose control of most of his real estate holdings. His architectural firm, John Portman & Associates, located their headquarters in the building. The two-level

lobby Lobby may refer to: * Lobby (room), an entranceway or foyer in a building * Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians :* Lobbying in the United States, specific to the United States * Lobby (food), a thick st ...

is filled with many works of art, sculpture and furniture designed by John Portman. The light rotates.

Recent events

The building was one of several struck by the mid-March 2008 Atlanta tornado, however it did not sustain damage as severe as most of the other buildings just south of it. Several offices had to be temporarily relocated within the building due to broken windows.

LPTV Low-power broadcasting is broadcasting by a broadcast station at a low transmitter power output to a smaller service area than "full power" stations within the same region. It is often distinguished from "micropower broadcasting" (more commonly ...

station

WDTA-LD WDTA-LD, virtual and UHF digital channel 35, is a low-powered Daystar owned-and-operated television station licensed Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The station is owned by the Word of God Fellowship. The station's transmitter is located i ...

relocated to the top of the building, from the even-taller Bank of America Plaza. Despite long being Atlanta's second-tallest skyscraper, this is its first

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

. The building has been since its construction the home of John Portman & Associates Architects. Atlanta's Truist Plaza building is home to a peregrine falcons' nest in planters on a balcony more than 50 stories above ground. High above any natural predators, the planters offer soft substrate and afford some protection from harsh weather. Peregrine falcons have been nesting at Truist Plaza since 1997. This

Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia. The agency has statewide responsibilities for managing and conserving Georgia’s natural, cultural, and historical resources, and has fiv ...

' Wildlife Resources Division web-camera offers viewers a unique look at the peregrines nesting activities in real-time. (Note: The balcony is private and not open to the public.) In October 2021, Truist announced plans to install signage on the crown of the building. The new signage was installed on January 23, 2022, which necessitated the closure of streets and sidewalks surrounding the skyscraper.

Gallery

Truist Plaza 2022.jpg, Peachtree Street entrance File:Ground Level at SunTrust Plaza Atlanta (4438173745).jpg, Perimeter around building at street level File:SunTrust Plaza Atlanta.jpg, View from the corner of Baker Street and Peachtree Center Avenue

References

External links

Truist Plaza Official website
{{Atlanta landmarks Office buildings completed in 1992 Bank company headquarters in the United States Office buildings in Atlanta John C. Portman Jr. buildings World Trade Centers Postmodern architecture in the United States Skyscraper office buildings in Atlanta

History

Recent events

Gallery

See also

References

External links