Urban renaissance in U.S. cities is grounded in, and galvanized by, landmark buildings of exceptional architecture. Historically, outstanding urban architecture is the underpinning for a city’s individual character and atmosphere. The Two Buckhead Plaza Office Building in Atlanta, Ga. - an awardwinning, innovative, all-precast-concrete design in the famous Buckhead district - is proving to be a catalyst for continued development along the city’s most prestigious business corridor. In this article, the authors discuss planning, permitting, design, manufacturing, and construction of this important culminating structure of a planned, mixed-use development program in Atlanta. On a difficult site, tightly constricted by existing buildings and the city’s busy Peachtree Road, the many advantages of precast concrete construction - from lower costs and new product designs to rapid erection - proved pivotal in the owner’s selection of an untried precast concrete solution.
