In contrast to the topic debating the worst architecture of our fair city, I propose this topic to debate the finest.
Anything within downtown is fair game, and your choice doesn’t have to be based upon architectural merit.
For me, the best building in the city (and there are some excellent ones, so this was not easy) is the Odd Fellows Building at 19 W. Hargett St. The architecture is gorgeous, and it’s been home to a very successful merchant in Deco.
What about the rest of you? Which building is your favorite in the city?
Odd Fellows is great. My absolute favorite is right next door with the Banking & Trust Company Building. However, I wish it still had the original facade on the lower floors.
For me, commercial downtown stuff is a tie between the Mahler Building and the Prarie Building, both from the 1870’s and containing stylistic elements common to that era. Similarly, residentially, I have an affinity for 1870’s stuff and the square towers (8 of those left I think) and rectangular bay windows (10-12 I think).
I really like the old post office at the intersection of Martin and Fayetteville Streets. I am not sure how or if the building is being used today, but I would love to take a tour someday if possible.
For contemporary work: CAM maybe? Or although I haven’t fully walked the interior yet, I think Union Station will be up there. Historical: Odd Fellows
I think Raleigh’s best architecture is still outside of downtown though, which is a shame. I hope more developers will start tapping local design talent more often to up the standard downtown.
Had dinner tonight at Mulino Kitchen. Not sure this falls exactly into this category, but this is an incredible building. The BIG old growth timber that was used in this 1900 building is awesome. 12 x 3’s and 4’s are furniture quality wood. And the food was great. Really cool building.
That is in the old Melrose Knitting Mill. Raleigh had six textile mills and this is one of the five left standing. All five should be preserved at all costs (and appear to be safe)
Easily its the State Capitol! What a classic building, so nice it almost bankrupted the state, and due to our historic poverty that emerged into the 21st century basically untouched. There are many awesome buildings in downtown, but this one, central to the city’s very being, takes the cake.
Because there was no money to expand it, it is one of the smallest state capitol buildings in the US (the smallest, possibly?), which is very charming in a way.
The current capitol building was constructed out of stone from a quarry a few miles southeast of town. Can anybody guess the present-day name of the road that was built to haul the material from the quarry to the city??
My favorite is Capital Bank Plaza. Not the tallest, not the most ornate, and nothing revolutionary or especially eye popping about it either, but it is a timeless and very well executed example of International Style. I love the glass and transparency of the base portion of the tower. I hope we never get to a point where buildings of this size 15 stories) are up for redevelopment in Raleigh, but I am concerned that the limited extent of DX40 zoning means that we might get there, some day, unless the council shows willingness to rezone other parts of downtown for DX40 as well.