Delaware’s skyline is not a sea of supertalls, but Wilmington still has a clear set of towers that define the city’s core, and they tell a material story that mason contractors recognize right away.
The state’s tallest building, 1201 N. Market St., rises 23 floors and 360 feet. Nearby, 1105 N. Market St., known for its Brutalist design by I.M. Pei, is another standout in the same downtown cluster. The gallery also highlights other familiar names on Wilmington’s list, including the 20-story Citizens Bank Center at 919 N. Market St., listed at 253 feet.
At the pedestrian level, masonry surfaces still do a lot of the visual work. One Rodney Square is noted for its recognizable brick facade. The Citizens Bank Center includes a street-level facade of polished stone from a 1990s renovation. The Delaware Trust Building, now the Residences at Rodney Square, is shown with arched windows and a masonry facade, and it has been reshaped over time, including a conversion to apartments and the removal of a former 22-story office tower addition in 2003.
Adaptive reuse shows up across the photo set. The Staybridge Suites on Market Street was converted from office space for more than $31 million and completed in 2022. The 901 Market Tower is described as starting as a six-story masonry building in 1892, and it now rises 14 stories with 82 newly opened apartment units. The former Nemours Building is being renovated for luxury apartments and rebranded as Market West.
For mason contractors, the takeaway is straightforward. When a city shifts buildings from office to residential, or updates a landmark’s street presence, brick and stone facades move to the front of the scope, and owners start asking hard questions about condition, appearance, and long-term upkeep.
Read the full, original article from Delawareonline.com here.