Bank of America Tower (Miami)

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Bank of America Tower

Full view of tower showing parking garage and sky terrace

Information
Location 100 Southeast 2nd Street, Miami, Florida, United States
Status Complete
Constructed 1983-1987
Opening 1987
Use Office
Height
Roof 625 ft (191 m)
Technical details
Floor count 47
Companies
Architect Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Bank of America Tower in downtown Miami. Photo: Marc Averette
Bank of America Tower in downtown Miami. Photo: Marc Averette

The Bank of America Tower at International Place (formerly the CenTrust Tower; more commonly known as simply Bank of America Tower) is a 47-story, landmark office tower in Miami, Florida. Built for CenTrust Savings & Loan in 1987, the 47-story building ranks in the top ten tallest skyscrapers in Miami and in Florida at a height of 625 feet (191 m) and is known for its elaborate night-time illuminations and its dramatic three glass tiers. Designed the by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners architectural firm, the tower consists of two separate structures: A 10-story parking garage owned by the city and the 37-story office tower built upon the air rights of the garage. Preliminary planning for the tower began in February 1980; construction on the garage began by November. The garage was completed in February 1983 and the tower began construction a year later. In August 1984, while the tower was under construction, a 5-alarm fire began on the ninth floor; construction was subsequently delayed for several weeks. On December 15, 1985, the tower was lit for the first time in Miami Dolphins aqua and snowflakes.

By February 1987, the complex was complete and it featured the world's only elevated metro station in a skyscraper (Knight Center station). It also gained notoriety for its luxurious interiors, including a skylobby on the 11th floor covered in marble and gold and a 10,000 sq ft (1,000 m²). (929 m²) outdoor terrace. Also its indoor gym features mahogany cabinets. The tower is connected to the James L. Knight Center by a pedestrian walkway and on the first floor is a retail spine covered with green marble. The tower contains 1.16 million square feet with 503,000 square feet (47,000 square m) of office space and a 535,000 square foot (50,000 square m), 1,500 space parking garage.

The roof of the building was the set of Gloria Estefan's 1994 video for "Turn The Beat Around". The building is also one of many featured on the backdrop of the stage on The Tonight Show.

Contents

[edit] Many colors of the tower

The tower's three tiers allow it to have multiple color schemes in tribute to certain holidays and seasons. Below are some examples of the various colors used:

[edit] Gallery

[edit] In Popular Culture

  • In the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the downtown area has a Bank of America Tower look-a-like.
  • In the video game DRIV3R, the Bank of America Tower is present in Miami, although its name is changed to "The Tower At International Place".
  • The tower appears repeatedly in multiple scenes throughout the movie of Miami Vice, the opening sequence of the Miami Vice television series, and briefly in the movie Casino Royale.

The building also appears in several scenes of the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "True Lies".

[edit] See also

[edit] External links