Pei Cobb Freed & Partners has unveiled its design for a glass-clad tower that will be the largest corporate headquarters in downtown Sacramento. A project of Vanir Development Company, the 26-story building is set to rise on a prime J Street site within walking distance of the new Sacramento sports arena.

With its dynamic form and bold skyline presence, the new tower is emblematic of the rebirth of the city’s business district and a major step in the area’s commercial growth. The architects intend an important civic role for the project as well. “For us it was essential that this building not only meet our client’s needs but also make a meaningful contribution to the public realm,” says design partner Michael W. Bischoff. “It does this with an exciting shape that can be enjoyed from afar and a presence at street level that is inviting and responsive to the evolving neighborhood.”

The north and south faces of the building, clad in transparent low-E glass, are inflected to create sloping parallelograms, responding to the opposing flows of traffic on J and I streets and giving the building its distinctive profile. The contrasting slopes are reconciled by means of a simple fold that divides the structure’s narrower east and west facades into two triangular faces, creating a subtle play of light and shadow. The podium base, set back to align with the historic bank building on the east, projects beyond the tower on the north and west to define a generous entry plaza at the corner of 6th and J streets. Accommodating two restaurants and a café, the ground floor is envisioned as a lively neighborhood destination.

The tower contains 367,000 square feet of office space, plus 432 parking spaces on 6 levels above grade and one level below. In addition to serving as Vanir’s global headquarters, the building will house the regional headquarters of a major commercial bank.

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Since its formation in 1955, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, based in New York, has completed over 250 building projects in more than 100 cities across North America and around the world. The firm’s clients include major corporations, private developers, and public authorities, as well as educational, cultural, and religious institutions, and its projects have received more than 200 major design awards. 

Established in 1964, the Vanir Development Company is a full-service real estate development company based in California and specializing in the design, construction, lease, and leaseback process. With clients including a wide array of government and private users, Vanir has successfully completed more than one million square feet of commercial real estate statewide. Additionally, Vanir currently manages nearly 500,000 square feet of property.