101 North Tryon, formerly One Independence Center, is located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, at the prominent intersection of Trade and Tryon. Despite its ideal location, the building had not been upgraded since its construction in 1982 and had experienced vacancy issues as businesses moved to newer spaces. The building’s new owners brought us in to renovate the entrance and main lobby to improve its perception and increase its appeal.
We approached this challenge by creatively integrating artistic features into the design to highlight the importance of the building’s location, elevate the environment and inspire those who work and visit the building. The new entrance uses art-glass and noticeable signage to give the building a prominent presence on the street. Inside the lobby, new wood slat walls, glossy white panels and commissioned paintings modernize the space while complementing the existing granite floors. The eyes are automatically drawn upward to the fluid movement of suspended, illuminated acrylic panels. The result is a lively atmosphere where people have impromptu collaborative meetings and are inspired as they head to work each day. This custom ceiling art installation just won the IIDA Carolinas DesignWorks Award for Design Detail category.
We approached this challenge by creatively integrating artistic features into the design to highlight the importance of the building’s location, elevate the environment and inspire those who work and visit the building. The new entrance uses art-glass and noticeable signage to give the building a prominent presence on the street. Inside the lobby, new wood slat walls, glossy white panels and commissioned paintings modernize the space while complementing the existing granite floors. The eyes are automatically drawn upward to the fluid movement of suspended, illuminated acrylic panels. The result is a lively atmosphere where people have impromptu collaborative meetings and are inspired as they head to work each day. This custom ceiling art installation just won the IIDA Carolinas DesignWorks Award for Design Detail category.
