'20 AIA NoAL Citation Award

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],0,"Program "],[0,[],1,"Summary and Statement:"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The\nmasonry core of The Corner Office dates back nearly 200 years, to the earliest\nyears of Huntsville\u2019s history. Various incarnations and exterior claddings over\nthat period are like a time capsule of architectural styles and commercial\ndevelopments in the evolution of the city\u2019s downtown district."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The\nearliest\nhistoric photos of the building date from the late nineteenth century. At that\ntime\nthe building was known as The Trade Palace, where dry goods, clothing, carpet\nand household items were sold. Over the years the building housed a bank,\ndrugstore, jewelry store, ladies clothing boutique, and a sandwich shop. While\nthe masonry structure stayed basically the same, its exterior changed with\nevery generation as fashions came and went. Windows were progressively filled\nin until the 1960\u2019s, when the building was fully clad in metal and all but a\nfew windows above the ground floor remained. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The\nbuilding underwent a major modernization in the 1990\u2019s when the metal siding\nwas removed, and then again in 2019 when it was renamed The Corner Office and\nadapted as a mixed-use office and retail building. The architects brought a\nsense of order to the front of the building with broad moldings around the\nwindows and four projecting balconies that are suspended by cables from the\nold-but-sturdy masonry structure. The architects selected a dark charcoal color\nto unify the exterior appearance of the masonry walls but still show evidence\nof many years of changes. The window moldings and cornice were painted white to\ncreate a striking contrast with the masonry walls. An obsolete fire escape on\nthe east facade was decommissioned but retained and highlighted with red paint\nas a historic architectural feature. The Corner Office has become a favorite\nlocation for both amateur and professional photographers."]]]]}