As part of the Block[83] development on Hillsborough St in Raleigh, Surface 678 is designing a half acre of open space situated between the One Glenwood and Two Hillsborough buildings. The courtyard will offer outdoor seating and program spaces for the building’s ground floor retail tenants. A central plaza between the towers will be provided for daily public use and host concerts and other events throughout the year.
The design of the courtyard is inspired by the site’s location at the top of a hill and history as the headwaters of a stream flowing south to join Rocky Bank Creek. The main plaza circulation is concentrated through a central corridor, while program and seating areas for the adjoining retail spaces occur as “eddies” in the stream. Sculptural seat walls moderate the slope through the site and shape both the central plaza and retail spaces.
