It was more or less part of the plan to mall in the entire center of the City. You may or may not know, the old Civic Center was where City Plaza is now. Same era as the Archdale Building. I think in time (maybe already) it’ll be considered a modernist treasure of sorts. I’m not totally sold on modernism and in particular when it takes on a more brutal element, but it is indeed unique…Albany NY’s similarities notwithstanding. From this angle, the brutal elements are hidden and all you see is windows.
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I walked by their loading dock this morning and they were delivering appliances (washer, dryers, ranges).
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I kind of knew that about the Civic Center, but had forgotten. I don’t hate all of the buildings in the government complex, but I do hate that brutalist style of concrete prevalent in the 60s/70s for government/public buildings. Albany (not sure if you remembered I grew up in a suburb of there, or if that was just a coincidental reference) certainly has a lot of them. I love what I consider “modernist” but hate “brutalist.” Night and day to me.
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The building had it’s grand opening in December but I haven’t seen anyone in there yet. (I work right next door, my desk stares at it)
The office floors are still being built out and the apartments seem to be almost move in ready.
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Is Archdale made of stone or concrete slabs? Don’t remember it being painted or power washed.
Emporis says, ‘Concrete.’
https://www.emporis.com/buildings/125420/archdale-building-raleigh-nc-usa
put enough titanium-oxide in the mix and concrete is white.
White concrete based on touch.
I’m not an architect, but I always thought of brutalist as a subset of modernist. From what i’ve read, by definition, brutalist has to be made of concrete. Just being blocky is an obfuscation. The Archdale sort of walks the line with concrete slab facade. The Albany reference was because North Carolina bought the plans for New York’s government complex and dumbed them down considerably. Probably for the best.
yep, could you imagine the horror of a row of those buildings marching along that was.
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Looking at it from Rensselaer (or however it is spelled) it looks like a series of chimneys going across the city of Albany.
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well, at least there was a water feature. 
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Wow! That ‘capital plan’ doc was a treasure trove. Lots of neat analysis.
This plan was put together around the time of the moon program planning (mid 60’s) and uses mostly non-computer charts and graphics.
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'The 1963 survey indicated that 92 per cent of the State employees come to work by automobile, 5 per cent walk, and 3 per cent use public transportation.
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By 1980 the central area of Raleigh must accommodate twice as many automobiles as it does now, and by the year 2000, assuming that automobiles are still a prime means of transportation, three times as many.
Thus the crazy car decks in the capital plan.
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And, 50 years afterwards, we would likely be conversing about tearing it down with a new replacement.
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It almost makes one want to go to Albany just to experience these buildings personally.
Are these state building the tallest things in Albany? Asking for a friend. 
Yes by far. I’m kind of cracking up at all the Albany discussion. We basically went downtown for my dad’s work, 4th of July fireworks, and to see my grandparents. In the 80s and 90s. There was nothing downtown, and apparently according to my friends who remain in the area, there still isn’t.
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My dad wouldn’t let me go to Albany with him when we lived upstate (plattsburg) because it was to dangerous. That and he didn’t want a 5 yro tagging along. But at the time it was pickpocket capital of the world.
If nothing else, the state complex is memorable. As an aside, I hate the state capitol.
Thanks for the sky line view and the answer @GucciLittlePig !!
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