Bank of America Plaza is the tallest building in the city, the third tallest in Texas and the 31st tallest in the United States. It has 72 stories and reaches 921 feet in height. It cannot be denied that the tower looks majestic during the day and is especially impressive at night when the colored lights are turned on. Read more about it on dallas-future.
The history of the construction
It took three years to build the bank. The works were finished in 1985. The building was designed by JPJ Architects and Bramalea Limited of Toronto. Its cost was $146 million. Initially, it was planned to build two skyscrapers, one of which would be the Main Center of Dallas and the other was planned to be a hotel with 600 rooms and a large parking lot. However, due to the collapse of oil, real estate and banking prices in Texas in the 1980s, the creation of the second tower was canceled.
The initial design for the tower included step pyramids at the top, as well as a retaining wall with silver glazing and gold bands. It was necessary to obtain permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration for this. Therefore, they had to abandon the stepped pyramid and replace the curtain walls with blue glazing and gray accent strips.
At the time of its opening, it was called InterFirst Bank Plaza. Due to constant changes in the industry, the name has changed several times. In 1986, after the merger with Republic Bank Corporation, it was renamed First Republic Bank. After things went sour, it was taken over by North Carolina National Bank in 1988 and renamed NCNB Plaza. In 1991, it was known as NationsBank Plaza until it was officially renamed Bank of America Plaza. This happened when NationsBank acquired Bank of America in 1998.
Which is located on the tower’s 72 floors?
The premises are mainly occupied by private enterprises and companies.
Among the entertainment facilities, there is the City Club. It is located on the 69th floor and is one of the oldest elite private clubs in the city. It organizes first-class private parties for club members and assists with wedding ceremonies, formal meetings and other events for non-union volunteers.
Workshops, shops and cafes are located on the lower floors, providing visitors with all the necessary services. The lobby is decorated with a collection of contemporary American art.
There is an observation deck on the 70th floor. To save time for lifting, special high-speed elevators are installed in the tower. The top two floors function as a TV tower, utilizing the building as a broadcast structure. Therefore, they are closed to the public and serve as utility rooms for the storage of window cleaning equipment.
Unique lighting
The most amazing part of the tower is its evening lighting. First, argon tubes about 2 miles long were installed. They were placed mostly around the edges and corners, emitting a green light. This color was chosen because it was more visible from a distance than red or blue. Locals began to call the building The Pickle.
In 2013, during the renovation, multi-colored LED tubes were installed instead of tubes. Traditionally, the building is illuminated in a bright green color. Sometimes, it changes to purple, white, red or blue in honor of an event, holiday or to draw attention to a charitable cause.
