They also painted it a color that begs for attention.
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Did you photo shop that blue sky?
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Lol no it was just blue and sunny finally. You’d know that if you actually lived downtown 
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Zinger!! Guess I need to look up 
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for raleigh its ok…charz
have to blame the architects on facing the gap East. But I let AI tell me why, and it wasn’t because anyone had a grudge against the East side of town. AI said East was the less developed side of town with mostly warehouses and industrial buildings, vs the other 3 directions were more modern. Not sure what that says about the south facing HVAC parapet wall on City of Raleigh Building facing the square!
Today I learned: Based on standard urban design, rooftop equipment on the Red Hat building in Raleigh is likely screened on only three sides to comply with local codes requiring screening from public view, while leaving the East side (often facing a less-traveled, lower-elevation, or shielded area) open to facilitate equipment ventilation, maintenance access, and cost-effective construction
Tall commercial building rooftops often have HVAC equipment screened on only three sides primarily to maximize operational efficiency, ensure proper airflow, and facilitate maintenance access, while still complying with local zoning regulations that require obscuring equipment from public view.
The three-sided approach is a strategic balance between aesthetics and functionality, driven by the following factors:
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Airflow and Ventilation: HVAC units, particularly cooling towers and condensers, require massive amounts of air to operate efficiently. A fully enclosed screen (four sides) can trap hot exhaust air, leading to “short-cycling” (re-inhaling hot air), reduced efficiency, or system failure. The open side allows for free airflow.
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“Line-of-Sight” Compliance: Many municipal codes require that rooftop equipment be hidden from view from adjacent public streets and buildings. Three-sided screens are typically placed to block views from the most prominent vantage points, often leaving the side facing away from the public, or toward the center of the roof, open.
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Maintenance Access and Safety: Technicians need significant “elbow room” and access to all sides of HVAC units for repairs and maintenance. An open side provides easier access for moving parts in and out without dismantling the screen, and provides a clear pathway for egress.
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Cost and Structural Efficiency: A three-sided screen is cheaper to construct, requires less structural engineering for wind loads (it acts as a windbreak rather than a solid wall), and is often all that is needed to achieve compliance with 85–100% obstruction requirements.
The ugly side was already east facing when Red Hat took over
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The framing for the mechanical screening is installed on the western side of the building. I was driving too fast to catch a picture.
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Go back and drive more slowly.
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for real. we’re talking about @Jake eating raw shoes here
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Just drove by- nothing on the outer parapet wall, still see through it
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February 18, 2026
The Raleigh Skyline has one less tower crane. Last week, the contractor disassembled the tower crane at the new City Hall. Taking down the tower crane is a complex process that takes multiple days to complete. The crew uses a mobile crane and climbing crews to dismantle the tower crane.
The removal of the tower crane is a major milestone for the new City Hall and marks the completion of the building’s outer shell. Now, crews turn their attention to the building’s interior work.
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I asked some random employee while over at city hall the other day - he said they will transition over all current departments to the new building etc and that will start in Spring of 2028(?) The current building will eventually be torn down, go away he said. So take all that with a grain of salt. But since he works there he may know more than the average bear.
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2 more years before they can move in?? That seems like a long time given the building is fully erect now.
(queue GLP eggplant emoji)
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He may have meant that everything would be moved over within 2 years.
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Unclear if this is complete blockage of the squares, or just partial. Shoes remaining uneaten for now.
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