Bank of America Plaza

A landmark on Atlanta’s skyline

Bank of America Plaza rises above 600 Peachtree Street NE, near the meeting point of Downtown and Midtown Atlanta. Completed in 1992, the office tower reaches 311.8 metres (1,023 feet) and has 55 floors, according to the Council on Vertical Urbanism. Its narrow shaft and illuminated, gold-toned crown make it one of the city’s most recognizable skyline markers. The building is a workplace first, not an observation tower: its height attracts attention from public streets, but the upper floors are not a general sightseeing destination.

The tower stands along the Peachtree Corridor, a commercial spine that links central Atlanta with northern districts. The surrounding area includes office buildings, restaurants, theatres and the North Avenue MARTA station. Visitors can appreciate the Plaza as part of the urban panorama from public sidewalks and nearby streets, while access to interior tenant areas remains subject to building rules. This distinction helps set expectations: the site is architecturally prominent, but there is no advertised public observatory or routine tourist tour of the tower.

From a bank headquarters to a changing name

The project began as a headquarters tower for Citizens & Southern National Bank, commonly known as C&S. Construction was under way as the regional banking sector consolidated, and the institution’s plans changed before the building opened. The tower was completed in 1992 and became known as NationsBank Plaza; after later mergers and a corporate rebranding, it took the Bank of America Plaza name. The sequence is a small window into Atlanta’s transformation during a period when finance, commercial development and the city’s ambitions were reshaping the skyline.

A Georgia State University archive preserves an Atlanta Journal-Constitution photograph of the building under construction in December 1991, when it was still identified as C&S Plaza. The image captures the tower before its familiar crown became a finished nighttime beacon. The Council on Vertical Urbanism lists Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates as architect and records a 1991 construction start and 1992 completion. These sources make the building’s history more concrete than the simplified story of a bank simply erecting a skyscraper: the design was born from one institution’s plans and opened under another’s name.

Architecture designed to be seen across the city

The Plaza’s visual identity depends on contrast between its slender vertical body and the geometric crown. The design places a prominent, gold-leaf-capped spire above the office floors, giving the tower a distinctive silhouette against Atlanta’s broad skyline. From street level, the shaft appears to taper toward that crown; from distant viewpoints, the illuminated top becomes a point of orientation after dark. The effect is especially clear from public spaces across Midtown, where the building can be read as part of a larger group of towers rather than as an isolated object.

The architecture also reflects the changing expectations of corporate offices. The original tower’s position between Downtown and Midtown connected a banking address with the Peachtree commercial corridor. Its ground-level plazas and arrival spaces mediate between the office block and surrounding streets, while the building’s present-day owner has been reworking interior common areas for tenants. The most meaningful way for a visitor to experience its architecture is therefore to compare the long-range skyline view with the street-level setting, not to assume that the tower’s dramatic height translates into public access to its upper floors.

A modern office undergoing a 2026 renewal

In 2026, the building’s official website describes a $70 million transformation. The first phase, reported complete, brought a renovated lobby, gathering spaces, a café and coffee bar. A second phase is under way in the West Wing, with a food destination planned alongside grab-and-go service and a tenant club on the 37th floor. These are amenities presented for tenants and building users, not attractions that automatically open to the public. Visitors should check with the property before assuming that a restaurant, lobby space or event can be entered without an invitation or reservation.

The renovation shows how a landmark office tower can adapt without changing its recognizable exterior. The design firm Gensler describes the work as an effort to refresh the lobby and shared spaces and improve the experience for tenants and visitors to the building. The owner’s current announcements describe services in phases, so details may continue to evolve after this article’s October 5, 2026 information check. The building remains primarily commercial real estate; it should not be confused with a museum, public roof deck or observation attraction just because its updated lobby is described as a destination.

How to include the Plaza in an Atlanta visit

The address, 600 Peachtree Street NE, places the building within reach of the North Avenue MARTA station and several Midtown destinations. It can be included in an architecture-focused walk through the Peachtree corridor, paired with views of nearby theatres and other office landmarks. Because the Plaza is a working building, the dependable visitor experience is its exterior and its place in the skyline. Respect security instructions, use public sidewalks and do not enter controlled spaces or photograph people at work without permission.

For a broader understanding of Atlanta’s architectural history, place the tower within the city’s early-1990s development story rather than treating it as a stand-alone tourist stop. Compare its modern profile with older buildings along Peachtree and consider how banking mergers changed both the name and the business identity associated with the address. The Plaza is most compelling as a piece of the city itself: a highly visible marker of corporate ambition and urban growth, seen from streets that remain part of everyday Atlanta.