It’s been months, I’m glad you’re back and posting drone pics again. They always provide a different perspective of projects from the typical street view.
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There’s a lot of potential for this street to become a shared street in the future, with pedestrians being the priority users, after the entire complex is completed (or before then).
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Thank you! I still fly a few times a week, but it’s mostly for freelance work and stock photography. I’ll try to do better with “hobby flying.”
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The massing easing on that corner is going to be 
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I remember when it was supposed to look like that, and now it’s just evenly spaced windows with white frames. Oh well.
Anyways, new update here. Notice it says Buck hoist with a B, not an F. That’s a different thing entirely.
June 26, 2025
The month of June has seen significant progress on the new City Hall.
- Two more floors were added, and crews are now wrapping up floor seven and will soon start on level eight.
- The council chamber’s concrete sloped floor was poured.
- The framing for levels one and two is progressing, as well as the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical rough-ins.
- Stair number one from the basement to level 2 is done.
- Crews continue to place the precast outer panels.
- Work continues on the level two Brise Soleil.
- The steel elevator is going in on level two.
Some new things to look out for in July include:
- The ribbon precast between floors two and three will be installed;
- Framing for the interior of level three will start, and,
- The buck hoist will be installed.
What is a buck hoist?
Buck hoists, also known as construction hoists or material hoists, are vertical transportation systems commonly used in construction projects to transport workers, tools, and materials to different levels of a building or structure. They have a motor-driven platform that moves vertically along guide rails installed on the exterior of a building. The platform is enclosed with walls and gates for the safety of the workers and to prevent any materials from falling off during transportation.
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yeah at least the ground level condition is pretty similar to the original… I really miss the warmth though.
fwiw the windows in the tower are not evenly spaced. They are much more regular in pattern than the original concept, but they still vary in size and spacing to create a subtle undulation.. I think there’s at least three different modules.
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Yes you are right. I just liked how different the original design was, but this is Raleigh, so I should never expect too much. Still not bad tho.
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I don’t hate the watered down version. There is something very Berlin-esque about it, which is nice to see. Plus, it doesn’t look beige or blue glass, which provides contrast. The subtle changes in window shape are going to be essential.
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I agree. I thought the original was really sharp and would have been one of the coolest buildings in town. This new version still looks fine, and should be a solid addition, but IMO doesn’t look like it will be a signature for the city.
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Yeah I think the Maeve kinda beat this to the punch and may end up being the better looking of the two very similar designs
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And it doesn’t have to be, it’s city hall not a corporate international headquarters. One of the other three potential towers may end up being a signature building in the future.
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Why are y’all so negative on this one all of a sudden? The main entrance/lobby/first 3 floors are still stunning. Easily could have squared the corner to VE it but they didn’t. I don’t think the exterior was a downgrade. The savings mainly came from reducing three floors.
Since there will probably never be the need for 3 tall buildings for city hall, I would love to see the current building be where we put the central library. Architecturally, it could match/compliment the new tower. I just feel like everyone is really going to want to see the old building gone ASAP when the new one opens. They’re so close together it might look awkward with the ultra modern entryway of the new building juxtaposed with the old dark brick of the former building. It’s going to be super tight between the two. The new building + library + woonerf in between the campus and Nash square would be a perfect pivot from the current 3 tower plan.
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Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m pumped on this one! Just think the Maeve beat it to the punch, design-wise.
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Sorry, it just brought up all my feelings of how I liked the original version and was sad it got downgraded in height and appearance. I am very much happy this is being built (if you couldn’t tell by my updates). And you’re right on two important points. The pedestrian, ground level experience (arguably the most important considering this isn’t a 30+ story building) is going to be pretty cool. Also, yes, I think this will be sufficient for quite awhile, and the deck and old city hall are going to look terribly incongruous there. I would absolutely love a flagship downtown library, or even any other use of this block’s other spaces. I guess we’ll see. Hopefully this anti-building economic climate doesn’t last forever. I never thought I’d agree with Trump, but I do kind of think interest rates need to come back down. That would help a lot with our DTR building goals, among other things.
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6 posts were merged into an existing topic: Downtown Library and Books Stores
A post was merged into an existing topic: Downtown Library and Books Stores
ahhh now the updates are really gonna start popping off!!!
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