Main + Gervais

Columbia, South Carolina

In historic Columbia, commerce and government meet at the intersection of two primary streets and mark one of the most significant spots in the downtown district. As the first new tower added to the Columbia’s skyline after a long hiatus, the Main + Gervais Office Tower presented the opportunity to spark new urban development. Sloping minimalist form contrasts with surrounding architecture and allows building floor plates to expand as the tower rises. Glass cladding balances between transparency and reflectivity, illuminating activity within the building and in the city skyline. Eighty feet up, a two-story terrace overlooks downtown, while accenting the Main Street lobby entrance. At street level, the architecture responds to the existing architectural fabric and energizes its surroundings with a refurbished public plaza.