Downtown Raleigh’s skyline will change dramatically in the next several years with the addition of new towers, particularly in the southern end. Are you excited?
UPDATE 10/08/2008:
First of the Edison updates:
UPDATE 07/20/2007:
He is an updated version of the future Raleigh Skyline rendering. It reflects a more current version of what we might see in 2008 and beyond.
Closer:
The current version of Raleigh (2006):
The future rendering of Raleigh:
A less cartoony look at the rendering:
Discuss!
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Created
on Sunday, October 29th, 2006 in the category Illustrations.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:53 am
Mongo, is there a reason you come to this website? You obviously just like to try to bash and belittle DT Raleigh. The people of Raleigh have a right to be excited about growth in our DT. No one is saying that our city is better than others…we are just enjoying the additions to our skyline. If you are unhappy with the skyline, why choose to visit a website about a skyline you don’t enjoy. If you live here and you don’t like it…you are more than welcome to move. I have only lived in Raleigh for a few years, and I have lived in cities that their skyline was amazing. I choose to come here because I enjoy all the excitement that surrounds a city that is growing.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 am
I’m actually seeing some similarities between Mongo here and our old friend Al….
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 am
Yada-yada-yada! That’s all I hear from you, Mongo. Oh, and it’s not a 3 building skyline, it’s a 10 building skyline!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:52 am
I wish the renderings for the Edison would come soon, and is there any update for the height of the buildings??
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
Anyone seen this yet? http://www.trumpcharlotte.com WOW
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:07 am
Mongo Slade, it is getting tiring arguing with you all the time… You come to a site dedicated to a city you obviously hate, or at least dislike, you bring nothing but personal opinions, you make up facts since you don’t know the real ones, and then you tell us how we are “in denial” and that you try to “educate us”. Spare me all the education… You have nothing to say, or share with us. Nothing we don’t know already. Up to a certain extent your comments were comic. Now, they sound more like tragic. Please try to find a forum where Raleigh bashing and cluelessness are better rewarded, because here there aren’t many people who share your views. There is a difference between expressing an opinion and hating the very topic of this forum.
Unless you don’t have online forums in Charlotte, which is hard to believe, try to adopt a friendlier attitude. You don’t have to like Raleigh, or its skyline, to know the facts. Funny thing is, we can educate you about the facts you so proudly ignore. If you can’t be friendlier, then good bye to you…
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Michael B, I saw this about 2-3 weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised because things didn’t seem to move along. It is indeed a great investment and without a doubt adds more to Charlotte’s image and to our state’s reputation of being solid when it comes to investments. I hope it moves along without any obstacles. It will be a fantastic addition to Charlotte’s skyline!!!
Anonymous, not to be the bringer of bad news, but we won’t see anything on The Edison until later this year. There are many good news about it, which I hate to say I can’t share with anyone right now, but I can say with certainty that The Edison will happen. Believe me, I am as anxious to see the renderings as anyone here, but I am forced to be patient until the developer finalizes the fine details.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Thanks Ernest.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:36 am
The aussies I was with didn’t even know the capital of Texas. Hard to believe they’d know North Dakota’s. Yet they have a vested interest in NC, particularly the outer banks, because a few have seen pictures or heard stories of the waves here. Basically if you talk to anyone who has grown up on the coast of Australia then chances are they will have at least a working knowledge of California, Florida, and Carolina. Most of course will know where New York is located too.
May 25th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hey Raleighskyliners!! I came up with a GREAT idea for a STATUE in Raleigh. The statue I have in mind would do for Raleigh as the ARC does for St. Louis- Statue of Liberty for NYC-Golden Gate for the Bay..etc. Im not really sure how to fund my project, how to get approval, or anything like that. I feel STRONGLY about this vision for Raleigh…It would also bring MANY tourists, create jobs and more $$$ to downtown and Raleigh as a whole!! I won’t reveal my idea as of yet, because I don’t want anyone to steal my idea. TO ALL…HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT RALEIGH HAVING our OWN national symbol????
May 25th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
It would be great! As long as Raleigh leaders don’t follow the normal path of cost cutting…
May 26th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
mongo slade, just…leave. thats all i have to say. just stop coming.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Is there any way to petition RBC to put another little tower thing on the other side of the building? I hate to be a jerk about it, but the building is so ugly and seems off balance. Everyone I know thinks the thing is ugly too. If it had a tower on the other side, it would actually look good. It would make all the difference in the world. Am I the only one that feels this way?
May 26th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Poor Mongo. He can’t even keep his or her own posts right. When I pointed out he or she didn’t seem to remember that Progress Energy, a Fortune 500 company is headquartered here, he or she replied on May 22: “I said you need more (headquarters). ”
But, May 11, Mongo had said: “Raleigh has simply lacked any major corporartion HQ in the area…
He or she either doesn’t know that Progress Energy is a major corporation, or he or she just wishes to continue to mislead his readers.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:36 am
As a longtime reader of this site, may I note my agreement with Ernest, LH, lance and other posters about the rambling inconsistencies of Mongo Slade. Just when it seems Mongo is about to make a contribution, Mongo reverts to his muddled, tiresome efforts to make some sort of senseless points having to with something (who knows what) about the RBC tower. Perhaps, after all, this is Mongo’s only objective — to offer senseless arguments (?) about nothing to somehow satisfy Mongo’s own ego’s urgings. LH, I understand your own urging to point out Mongo’s inconsistencies, but Mongo probably takes perverse satisfaction in this, and probably you’d do better to follow your own advice and ignore Mongo.
That said, I note that most posters here are merely enjoying and encouraging Raleigh DT’s awakening after decades of slumber. They realize that Raleigh is not as big as Charlotte, which is not as big as Atlant, which is not as big as whatever. So what? The dramatic awakening is exciting. The progress in such a short time is fun to experience. The present economic downturn is slowing us down some, but it will but temporary. And on the horizon is much more progress, including the two new towers south of the Bank of America building (I forget that site’s designation, the 20-plus-story hotel at Lenoir and Salisbury, the Reynolds development (still alive) at Salisbury and Hillsborough, the Edison, the great plans for the south end of Fayetteville Street. And so on.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:43 am
jrd, I also think the building lacks something but I’m not sure just a tower on the other side would fix it. The tower itself (first one) seems just a cheap attempt to gain height for the building than a real aestetic feature that any forethought went into. RBC doesn’t seem to be listening to public concerns for the visual impact of the building or they probably never would have added this feature in the first place.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Architecturally, the pyramid works fine. It’s about the 5th iteration of the design from the first drawings, so evidently much forethought went into it. New high-rise buildings all over the world have been adding such design elements for not much else than achieving more height. When it’s finished and the RBC sign is included, that will be more easily seen. I do wish the spire had enough color to be more easily seen from a distance.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I wanted to throw in my two cents about RBC’s contribution to the skyline. I agree with many that it is not the best skyscraper I have seen, but compared to everything else in Raleigh, it is a breath of fresh air. The all glass tower is a nice change to the drab, monotone colors of brick, beige concrete and gray granite occupying Raleigh’s downtown skyline.
The South Saunder’s vantage point, AKA “the money shot”, is probably RBC’s weakest angle IMO. As awesome as some of these photos are on this site, it doesn’t do the building justice in my opinion. I travel on the beltline everday and it is a great contribution to the skyline from this vantage point. The spire maybe cheating to many, but again, from the beltline, you can really see how great it looks.
May 28th, 2008 at 2:23 am
I totally agree. Compared to what has been built in Raleigh/Durham the RBC glass look is a great addition compared to the dull/old look of BB&T. Raleigh will probably have to get a new money shot due to how short the building looks from Raleigh’s most famous angle. Whatever the powers that be in the Raleigh/Durham area have against height is beyond reason. A 50 story true 600 plus ft tower in between the other 2 buildings would have made a bold new statement for the area. Maybe RBC will be that magnet to attract such projects in the future.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:24 am
The problem we have with getting superb structures – both in height and architecture – is the lack of an entity that actually pays attention to such details. RBC Centura was definitely not that entity. I am sure they could have added more than just 2 cents worth of input and demand something extraordinary. RBC Plaza will definitely make some difference, regardless how we feel about it, but the real shift will not take place until bigger and taller buildings become the norm. I think we have enough [future] fillers. Now is time for real skyscrapers.
Since Fayetteville Street has been, pretty much, filled, the hope exists to the West of the CBD, along Salisbury and McDowell Streets. There is still plenty of land we can redevelop, but how will depend on the success of the existing projects. RBC Plaza proved there is demand for high-rise living – that is, above 15 stories off the ground. If The Edison becomes successful and the lenders become less reluctant to finance condo projects in Raleigh, we may see a new wave of residential high-rises, along with hotel and office space. Since we have demonstrated desire to move at a non-frantic pace, as a city, I doubt we’ll see 20 cranes appearing at the same time. We may, on the other hand, stay busy at all times, with a handful of small and large projects taking place at once. That is not bad, but far from exciting, still. Until the city expands its vision and brings revitalization efforts outside Fayetteville Street, I am not sure we’ll see investments flooding the West side of downtown, outside little things.