You are here

Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont » Norfolk » Civic and Financial Norfolk » Dominion Tower

Dominion Tower

-A A +A
1984–1987, Harwood K. Smith and Partners. 999 Waterside Dr.
  • (Photograph by Matthew Aungst)
  • Dominion Tower (Richard Guy Wilson)

At twenty-six stories, Dominion Tower is the region's tallest skyscraper as well as its most vivid reminder of the fervid real estate speculation of the 1980s. Designed by a Dallas firm, the building has polished red granite walls and a postmodern crown that confirm its slick Sunbelt pedigree. Dominion Tower was intended to be the region's premier office building when it opened in the fall of 1987. Its opulent lobby is a showcase of imported marble and granite, and its cross-shaped plan increases the number of desirable corner offices on each floor with uninterrupted views of the Elizabeth River, Norfolk, and Portsmouth. A glut of office space in the region coupled with an enormous debt load, however, nearly led to the property's foreclosure. A combination of new ownership and management reversed the building's fortunes.

Dominion Tower is best viewed from the Berkley Bridge, where its massive scale can be measured against the Norfolk skyline. From Waterside Drive the main, pseudo-Palladian entrance appears gargantuan and unapproachable. In 1993 the west wall of the adjacent parking garage was covered with a whaling mural by the artist Wyland. Next to Dominion Tower, even images of nature's largest mammals appear small.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Richard Guy Wilson et al.
×

Data

What's Nearby

Norfolk Civic Center
Waterside Festival Marketplace
Norfolk Marriott Hotel and Convention Center
BB&T Building
Selden Arcade

Citation

Richard Guy Wilson et al., "Dominion Tower", [Norfolk, Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-01-NK2.

If SAH Archipedia has been useful to you, please consider supporting it.

SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. This freely available resource empowers the public with authoritative knowledge that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the built environment. But the Society of Architectural Historians, which created SAH Archipedia with University of Virginia Press, needs your support to maintain the high-caliber research, writing, photography, cartography, editing, design, and programming that make SAH Archipedia a trusted online resource available to all who value the history of place, heritage tourism, and learning.

,