Type Office Country United States Structural system Rigid frame Opened 1991 Construction started 1990 | Location Roanoke, Virginia Completed 1991 Floors 21 Architectural style Postmodern Architecture Antenna spire 369 ft (112 m) | |
![]() | ||
Cost $34,500,000
($60.7 million in 2017 dollars) Former names Dominion Tower, First Union Tower, Wachovia Tower Similar Blue Ridge Mountains, St Andrew's Roman C, Roanoke Star, Tanglewood Mall, Taubman Museum of Art |
The Wells Fargo Tower (formerly named Dominion Tower, First Union Tower and Wachovia Tower) is a 21-story, 320-foot (98 m) office building in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Completed in 1991, this stands as both the tallest building in Roanoke and the tallest building in Southwest Virginia.
Contents
Map of Wells Fargo Tower, 10 S Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24011, USA
History
The groundbreaking ceremony for its construction occurred on May 11, 1990. With both city and business leaders in attendance, a balloon released to a height of 320 feet (98 m) was also on display to give onlookers better context as to the finished height of the structure. By October construction had already brought the tower to its seventh floor. However on October 29, a construction worker fell to his death from the seventh floor and was the only fatality associated with the construction of the tower. The final concrete was poured for the tower in April 1991 and the first tenant moved in by October 1991.
Profile
Designed by the firm of Clark Tribble Harris & Li Architects, the tower is of a postmodern design and is the tallest building in both Roanoke and all of Southwest Virginia. It is topped with a 50-foot (15 m) copper pyramid with a 48-foot (15 m) spire atop it, and was designed as a homage to the Hotel Roanoke, located to the north of the tower. At night, the tower is illuminated by 135 floodlights.
Although the tower officially has its floor count at 21-stories, there is not a numbered 13th floor to quell persons that may have triskaidekaphobia.
Naming
After the purchase of Wachovia by Wells Fargo in late 2008, the name of the tower was set to change for the third time. In July 2011, the tower was officially renamed as the Wells Fargo Tower to reflect the official rebranding of Wachovia to Wells Fargo in Virginia.