The 800 Apartments
Encyclopedia
The 800 Apartments is a skyscraper
in Downtown
, Louisville, Kentucky
. The building is named after its address of 800 South Fourth Street. The 29-story, 290 feet (88 m) high structure was designed by the Louisville architect
ural firm of Arrasmith and Tyler in a partnership with the Chicago
architectural firm of Loewenberg and Loewenberg. Construction began in 1961 and the building was completed in 1963 at a cost of $6 million. It was built by F. W. "Fritz" Drybrough, who lived in the penthouse for years.
The building, which has a continuous-pour reinforced concrete
frame, has an aluminum curtain-wall system on its exterior with the color of the aluminum panels being a distinctive turquoise blue. As a result local residents sometimes refer to it as "The Turquoise Tower of Power", a nickname used by disc jockeys who used to broadcast from the building in the 1980s.
The 800 was the tallest building in Louisville from 1963 until the completion of PNC Plaza
in 1971 and was Louisville's tallest residential building until Waterfront Park Place was completed in 2004.
The 800 was considered a very upscale residence in its earlier years but its age and upkeep have dimmed its luster somewhat. Its desirability as residential housing has also been affected over the decades by the somewhat gradual progression of Louisville's central business district from the nearby Broadway area at the time the building was new to the Main Street and Market Street areas several blocks to the north. The building sold for $3.95 million in 1997, considerably less than what it was built for, even without adjusting for inflation, and renovated in 1999.
The building features an underground parking garage and four 29th floor penthouses along with an outdoor area on the roof. All rental units have outdoor balconies. The ground floor has in various years featured a restaurant from time to time. The main building of the Louisville Free Public Library
is across the intersection of Fourth Street and York Street from the 800.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Downtown
Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west...
, Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The building is named after its address of 800 South Fourth Street. The 29-story, 290 feet (88 m) high structure was designed by the Louisville architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
ural firm of Arrasmith and Tyler in a partnership with the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architectural firm of Loewenberg and Loewenberg. Construction began in 1961 and the building was completed in 1963 at a cost of $6 million. It was built by F. W. "Fritz" Drybrough, who lived in the penthouse for years.
The building, which has a continuous-pour reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
frame, has an aluminum curtain-wall system on its exterior with the color of the aluminum panels being a distinctive turquoise blue. As a result local residents sometimes refer to it as "The Turquoise Tower of Power", a nickname used by disc jockeys who used to broadcast from the building in the 1980s.
The 800 was the tallest building in Louisville from 1963 until the completion of PNC Plaza
PNC Plaza
PNC Plaza is a skyscraper in Downtown, Louisville, Kentucky and located at 500 West Jefferson Street. Owned by Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank, the 30-story, high structure was designed by architect Welton Becket and was completed in 1971. A notable feature of the building is the pattern of pre-cast...
in 1971 and was Louisville's tallest residential building until Waterfront Park Place was completed in 2004.
The 800 was considered a very upscale residence in its earlier years but its age and upkeep have dimmed its luster somewhat. Its desirability as residential housing has also been affected over the decades by the somewhat gradual progression of Louisville's central business district from the nearby Broadway area at the time the building was new to the Main Street and Market Street areas several blocks to the north. The building sold for $3.95 million in 1997, considerably less than what it was built for, even without adjusting for inflation, and renovated in 1999.
The building features an underground parking garage and four 29th floor penthouses along with an outdoor area on the roof. All rental units have outdoor balconies. The ground floor has in various years featured a restaurant from time to time. The main building of the Louisville Free Public Library
Louisville Free Public Library
The Louisville Free Public Library is the largest public library system in Kentucky. Officially opened in 1908, the library's main site resides south of Broadway in downtown Louisville. Additional branches were added over time, including the Western Colored Branch, which was the first...
is across the intersection of Fourth Street and York Street from the 800.