The latest dramatic addition to uptown Charlotte’s (North Carolina) skyline is the striking architecture of the 47-story Hearst Tower. Architectural precast concrete, designed and produced with a variety of colors, textures, and forms, provides both the distinctive style and complementary architecture demanded by the owner. It was critical that the Hearst design complement its sister tower, the Interstate Johnson Lane Building, as well as nearby corporate campus structures. The precast concrete façade includes color pigments used in the exterior panels, which were sandblasted and polished to simulate the appearance of granite and natural stone. Collaboration between the project architect and precaster resulted in an innovative window panel unit that reduced production cost and erection time for the owner and general contractor. Demand for the rapid delivery and exacting design of this $150 million commercial building on a restrictive urban construction site made this precast concrete system the natural material of choice for this award-winning project.
