The building was commissioned by Prentiss Properties as a southeastern headquarters for
IBM, a company responsible for many notable skyscrapers of the 1980s. A local and well known engineer, Blake Van Leer, was the lead engineer for the project. Van Leer worked on most of the major skyline projects in the area during the 70s and 80s. Aside from introducing Atlanta to the postmodern architectural idiom of the 80s, this tower is notable for essentially creating what is now the Midtown commercial district. Located at the then-remote corner of 14th and West Peachtree Street over a mile from
Downtown, this building nevertheless opened nearly fully occupied and thus attracted developers to Midtown. The design of the building was influenced by the
Tribune Tower in Chicago, which is most evident in the base of the building as well as the main body. The building's exterior is clad in pink Spanish
granite and culminates in a copper pyramidal top with a gold peak. The design includes
gothic flourishes, most noticeably below the copper top of the building. At night the peak and ridges along the top are illuminated brightly, creating a glowing effect. ==Other phases==