American Federal Building, Mid-century modern round office building in downtown Orlando, United States
The American Federal Building was a seven-story round office tower in downtown Orlando, Florida. Its two original floors, completed in 1963, were wrapped in a cast-concrete brise-soleil; five glass-clad floors were added in 1973. It stood across Orange Avenue from City Hall and was demolished between 2014 and 2015.
The structure was designed by architect Robert Murphy and opened in 1963 with two floors. In 1973 it received five additional stories, and in 2014 it was demolished.
The 120-piece concrete brise soleil was the focus of a preservation campaign by The Nils M. Schweizer Fellows, mid-century modern enthusiasts and local AIA architects. The first salvaged segment was reinstalled in front of the Orange County Regional History Center in November 2018.
The building was demolished in 2014, but a preserved concrete panel from the original stands as public art near the Orange County Regional History Center. You can see this relic and learn more about the structure at this nearby cultural institution.
The structure was built with 120 cast-concrete sections that served as sun protection from Florida's intense heat. During restoration efforts, 68 of these panels were rescued and preserved by architecture specialists as cultural artifacts.
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