Equitable Building, Modern skyscraper in downtown Atlanta, United States
The Equitable Building is a 32-story office tower in downtown Atlanta with a distinctive black exterior and stands 453 feet tall. The structure dominates the Fairlie-Poplar district skyline and occupies the prominent corner location at 100 Peachtree Street.
The building opened in 1968 after the Equitable Life Insurance Company commissioned renowned architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to design it. It replaced the former Piedmont Hotel that previously occupied this downtown location.
The black glass-and-steel tower, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, is a local example of the International style. Its "EQUITABLE" rooftop sign long served as a downtown landmark; in 2017 Georgia's Own Credit Union took naming rights, and the letters were replaced by a digital LED display showing the credit union's logo and civic and charitable messages.
The building connects directly to public transit through the MARTA Red and Gold lines at Peachtree Center station. The Atlanta Streetcar also serves the nearby Woodruff Park stop, making the location easy to reach from across the city.
At about 11:34 pm on March 27, 1968, fire broke out on the tenth floor of the unfinished tower and climbed through wooden concrete forms, fanned by high winds. It was declared tapped out at 6:00 am; debris showered adjacent roofs, yet no one was seriously hurt. Damage reached $1.6 million.
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