National City Tower

National City Tower is an office building in downtown Louisville with 40 floors rising 512 feet above street level. Its aluminum and glass exterior wraps around a steel frame structure at 101 South Fifth Street.

The building was completed in 1972 by architectural firm Harrison & Abramovitz and remained Kentucky's tallest structure until 1993. Its construction represented a shift toward modern high-rise development in Louisville's downtown core.

The lobby interior reflects the corporate modernism popular in the 1970s, with clean lines and minimal ornamentation visible to visitors entering from street level. This design approach shaped how Louisville's downtown spaces felt to workers and pedestrians passing through the area.

The tower sits directly on a main downtown street and is easy to reach on foot from nearby areas. Ground floor retail spaces provide entry points where you can see the lobby and interior design without special access.

Deep below ground, reinforced concrete piles support the tower's towering steel columns using an engineering approach typical of 1970s construction. This foundation system allowed architects to build taller while maintaining sleek exterior lines.

Location: Louisville

Architects: Harrison & Abramovitz

Official opening: 1972

Floors above the ground: 40

GPS coordinates: 38.25622,-85.75800

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:58