From 1909-2009, the 16-story Empire Building boasted an impressive array of tenants. Built on the site of the former Birmingham Bank Restaurant and Saloon, the building was an example of a booming Birmingham that caught the eye of and was now supported by northern investors and development companies.
Just four years after the Empire Building opened, the American Trust and Savings Bank Building was constructed on the diagonal corner, along with two other large buildings on each cross corner, which earned that intersection the title of “The Heaviest Corner on Earth.” It truly was the golden-era of Birmingham!
While beautiful, ornate, and immaculate, Skyscrapers were not as functional in a southern city with a plateauing economy. For instance, in the years leading up to it’s impending closure in 2009, the building had one tenant who occupied only the first floor. They can be tough buildings to manage and keep full, especially during times of recession that we saw in the late 1920s and early 1930s as well as during the housing market crash in 2008.
The building only sat unoccupied for about three years as it was purchased in 2012 by an investor with original plans to turn the building into low-income housing. However, in 2015 a new idea won out– to turn the property into a boutique Marriott Autograph Collection hotel. Estimated costs of the renovation were around $27 million, and it opened in 2017.
Today, the building still showcases the intricate details of its original Classical Revival architecture as well as the ornamentation of the Chicago School style of architecture. The Chicago School of architecture was born from the 1871 Great Fire of Chicago that destroyed the city. As the city was rebuilt, architecture began to evolve to include more “fire-proof” natural stones and even steel frames.
In fact, Louis Sullivan- a Chicagoan sometimes regarded as the father of modern American architecture- championed the steel frame movement, using steel frames to build grandiose skyscrapers throughout Chicago. Frank Lloyd Wright was actually an apprentice with Sullivan for several years.
Besides the Chicago School influence, the Classical Revival style is also a large piece of the architectural work that is the Empire Building. Classical Revival style has less intense features than the Neo-Classical style. A great example of Neo-Classical style is the U.S. Capital in Washington D.C.
The Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide lists several identifiable features for Classical Revival Architecture, and we noticed a few of them in the design of the Empire Building in Birmingham:
Formal symmetrical design, usually with center door
Full height porch with classical columns
Decorative door surrounds, columns, or sidelights
Dentiled cornice
Rectangular double hung windows
Classical Revival architecture is wildly popular across the United States, capturing the essence of many buildings created in the late 1800s and early 1900s before the Great Depression.
At the Empire Building in Birmingham, the pink doric columns at the base of the building are one of the most recognizable features. The building itself is extremely symmetrical, and two of the exterior sides boast a terra-cotta cornice.
Even though the “E” of the front entrance is highly-recognized, the capital of the building has the most distinct, ornate architectural details. If you visit the rooftop bar of the Elyton Hotel, you will find the women of the Empire building overlooking the city at each corner! Plus, a set of spiral columns on the capital sits inset on the 1st Avenue North side, surrounded by patterned stone work.
Even though the building proved too large for many of its years and was unable to reach tenant capacity, we are thankful that the building itself still stands as a symbol of the Golden Era of a booming Birmingham. The best part about the Empire Building is that it is in use again. With a new purpose, the building has the opportunity to carry itself into the the next century. While beautiful architecture is alluring and needed at times, achieving timeless functionality ensures that the legacy of a place continues on for many years to come.
Sustainment and urban repair is huge value at Adams Design Associates, and we encourage you to check out our portfolio of renovation work!
References :
Poe, K. (2015, April 13). Empire Building part of $45 million project including two Marriotts, new Chris Hastings restaurant. Retrieved November 26, 2019, from https://www.al.com/business/2015/04/empire_building_part_of_27_mil.html.
Poe, K. (2017, July 6). Elyton Hotel, the luxury hotel in the historic Empire Building, announces opening date. Retrieved November 26, 2019, from https://www.al.com/business/2017/07/elyton_hotel_announces_opening.html.
PHMC Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/index.html.
Koeper, H. F. (2019, August 30). Louis Sullivan. Retrieved December 19, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Sullivan.