The skyline thread

[MR-2]

Just making sure. Durham's skyline is easy to forget. Hopefully that won't be the case in a few years.

[carynative]

I like Durham's skyline. It's short, but interesting. Lots of variety. You've got the American Tobacco complex. The ball park. The jail (which is the most striking building IMO). The self-help building and the suntrust tower. It's an interesting view while coming in on the freeway.

[RaleighRob]

It's an interesting view while coming in on the freeway.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

I think Durham's skyline is a lot easier to see from the freeway than is Raleigh's. Raleigh's building heights are truly only seen/appreciated best from the (dip), coming into downtown from South Saunders. There are of course many other view points, but none show off the buildings quite as well. One of downtown Raleigh's biggest problems,(as far as views go), is being located in a deep valley. There are ridges all to the north and west. If it were flat like Dallas TX, downtown Raleigh would look much more impressive. IMHO!

[MR-2]

A couple 16-floor post-modern glass condo towers, and Durham would have a really cool European look to it.

[carynative]

I agree with DWNTWN, i think our view is hampered by terrain. Even Durham's can be seen for quite a few miles. I can see it on U.S. 70 by the Angus Barn and on I-85 Nbound near Hillsborough if conditions are right. Raleigh's though is quite limited. You really can't see it from a good distance at all.

[RaleighRob]

I agree with DWNTWN, i think our view is hampered by terrain. Even Durham's can be seen for quite a few miles. I can see it on U.S. 70 by the Angus Barn and on I-85 Nbound near Hillsborough if conditions are right. Raleigh's though is quite limited. You really can't see it from a good distance at all.

[pack-man]

a good view w/ some distance is coming in on the new US 64 bypass, looks pretty impressive. I've always like Capital Blvd around the New Hope Church area.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

It depends on your elevation. I've seen it from Garner before. And another time I think I saw it on US 64 pretty far out.

[JDC]

Yeah. Durham's "skyline," though not nearly as impressive as Raleigh's, Winston-Salem's or Charlotte's of course, is one of my favorites because of the variety. If you stand atop the southern parking garage at ATHD you can get just the right angle to see the Lucky Strike tower and smokestack with the SunTrust building in the background.

[drewpiece]

First of all, I wouldn't say skyline discussion is "tangentially related at best." Skylines are an important and integral part of urban identity.

Second of all, downtown Raleigh is not really in a valley. Fayetteville Street is actually up on a hill. If you want to see great views of downtown, drive in from the northern part of Capital Boulevard or Wake Forest Road near Duke Raleigh Hospital.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

First of all, I wouldn't say skyline discussion is "tangentially related at best." Skylines are an important and integral part of urban identity.

Second of all, downtown Raleigh is not really in a valley. Fayetteville Street is actually up on a hill. If you want to see great views of downtown, drive in from the northern part of Capital Boulevard or Wake Forest Road near Duke Raleigh Hospital.

[avery]

The rolling landscape of this area does affect the perpective of downtown Raleigh from many vantage points. I actually think it is pretty cool going down Saunders, with downtown looking small and then boom...it looks great.

Personally, some of my favorite vantage points are from 401 in Garner and on the southside of 440 between Hammond and Rock Quarry Rd. There is a wetland next to the beltine that has awesome views of the SE corner of downtown.

[DwnTwnRaleighGuy]

The rolling landscape of this area does affect the perpective of downtown Raleigh from many vantage points. I actually think it is pretty cool going down Saunders, with downtown looking small and then boom...it looks great.

Personally, some of my favorite vantage points are from 401 in Garner and on the southside of 440 between Hammond and Rock Quarry Rd. There is a wetland next to the beltine that has awesome views of the SE corner of downtown.

[architect77]

While doing a story about the future of the Dorothea Dix campus, WRAL quickly panned to the Raleigh skyline from the Dix campus, and it was impressive with the buildings appearing taller and slimmer. Two Hanover Sq (BB&T) looks much better from this angle as I really like its east/west facades more than its wide north/south ones.

I've never liked the view from South Saunders for several reasons...the 45 degree angle makes the buildings look short and fat, and the whole composition of that "money shot"-with buildings perched on a hill and the unimportant 4 lane weaving towards it- looks almost too perfect or staged. Also this view doesn't seem to represent how most of us experience the skyline. I like the view from Lake Wheeler Road with the skyline abruptly appearing while framed by trees.

I wish one of you guys could go to Dix and take some pics. I want to see that angle again.

The view from Broughton HS is also interesting.

While watching PBS's Civil War documentary recently, they mentioned Dorothea Dix, who headed the nursing efforts to wounded soldiers, along with being a lifelong advocate to the mentally ill. She served her full 4 year term in the army? caring for soldiers and never accepted any pay. Until now I never knew the significance of the name.

[ChiefJoJo]

I wish one of you guys could go to Dix and take some pics. I want to see that angle again.

The view from Broughton HS is also interesting.

[ChiefJoJo]

See this Raleighing article from May 27.

[ncwebguy]

The 100 block of west Davie is too much in the middle of everything to not be devloped. The only thing against it is the county jail tower to the north. The property owners of the land south of 209 Davie on the west side of McDowell will build something. They saved the air rights above the parking deck entrance from West Cabarrus. I wouldn't be suprised to see another deck south of the 209 Davie deck, with street level retail and offices/apartments/condos/hotel rooms wrapped around the upper stories. This is why no one wants to take over Pooles, and Kings will not become the institution that Cat's Cradle is, though the Cradle has moved a few times in its history...

If the CAM tower is 20 stories, it would be next, but I don't think they are thinking that big either.

A tower due east of Site 1 could go that high, but the Pope house isn't going anywhere and PE III will satisfy space demand over there for a while.

I don't think sites 2 and 3 (south of the turquoise CC block) will be 20 stories, so they are out.

The gravel parking lot under the "3" in the picture feels disconnected from the theater district due to the parking deck. The new CC and Layfayette will help some, but the "open field" in the north block will not help. The city's site 5 -- south of South street, between Dawson and McDowell -- has train tracks running through it. It could be a good transit connection from south downtown to the warehouse district, state government complex/Glenwood South, etc. but it is not on TTA's radar.

The best candidate left (to me) is the block across from Paladium Plaza, south of Founder's Row. Person and Blount can handle a lot more traffic, and getting the cell tower away from the pedestrian experience would be a good thing.

[JDC]

I was out and about in Raleigh yesterday and got several different views of the skyline (you tend to see a great deal on the walk from Moore Square to Five Points). I think my favorite high-rise in Raleigh is the Progress Energy building. I'm not too crazy about the two tallest, and most of the others seem a little plain and boxy.

What's your favorite?

[Jones_]

The Capital Club Building at Martin and Salsibury....reminds me of midtown manhatten which is full of 1920's midrise buildings....I envision it turned into chic retro condos full of formica table tops and shiny chrome bar stools.....

Pictures

[cophead567]

here's my sorry attempt to being a good photographer. i just took two pics and mashed them together as best i could. anyway, the boylan ave. bridge is my favorite skyline view. took these pics yesterday.

[ncwebguy]

I don't know why, but recently I've admired the Wake County Annex building on Fayetville Street:

Mostly for the "hidden" top piece in the upper right corner of the picture that looks better from the McDowell/Davie intersection.

From the street, the Sir Walter Raleigh building could be something if returned to its former self. The Hudson does a good job being "part" of the streetscape on the Wilmington and Fayetville sides.

[ChiefJoJo]

I don't know why, but recently I've admired the Wake County Annex building on Fayettville Street

[wfdude]

Has anybody noticed that the top of the BB&T building is no longer lit up at night? I've noticed that for about a month now, and I figured the lights just went out and needed to be replaced, but I'm now beginning to wonder. It's kinda sad because you don't realize how much those two lit up nubs on top of that building adds to the skyline until its no longer lit up (even if its not a particularly attractive top). It makes it really difficult to get a good night skyline photo.

[yankeeblue]

^ I thought it only lit up during the holidays? I could be mistaken.

However I think you bring up a good point. Why not keep the Wachovia Bldg lit up green throughout the whole year instead of only on the holidays? I think it sets a good standard for idea progress when other builders/businesses are looking to develop downtown Raleigh.

here's my sorry attempt to being a good photographer. i just took two pics and mashed them together as best i could. anyway, the boylan ave. bridge is my favorite skyline view. took these pics yesterday.