550 South Tryon
| Industry | Commercial real estate / Office building |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Wachovia Corporate Center, Duke Energy Center |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Charlotte , United States |
Area served | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Products | Office space |
| Owner | Wells Fargo (largest tenant and owner of leasehold) |
550 South Tryon (previously known as the Duke Energy Center) is a prominent skyscraper reaching 48 stories in height (54 floors including mechanical levels) located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Finished in 2010, it stood as the largest structure in Charlotte by total square footage, ranked as the city’s second tallest building, the 63rd highest in the United States, and notably the tallest building globally constructed using precast double tees.
History
The site was initially acquired during the 1990s by Duke Power CEO Bill Lee with the intention of establishing Duke’s headquarters. However, the company subsequently sold the property to Wachovia.
Development Years
Originally called Wachovia Corporate Center, this tower was conceived to succeed One Wachovia Center as the main headquarters for Wachovia. The bank occupied approximately of the building, dedicating specific floors for trading activities, training shared with Wake Forest University’s MBA program, and server facilities. Following Wells Fargo’s acquisition of Wachovia, Duke Energy increased its planned occupancy from to , leading to a rebranding of the building as Duke Energy Center and planning to utilize floors 15–22 and 36–48.
Ownership remained with Wells Fargo, which initially reserved , later offering to lease out 25% of that area while committing to occupy 10 floors. Key tenants included KPMG and Katten Muchin Rosenman (from February 2010), with Duke Energy moving into its space later that year. The law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal leased , while Deloitte secured .
Wake Forest University had intended to establish its Charlotte campus for the Babcock Graduate School of Management in roughly but withdrew following Wells Fargo’s takeover of Wachovia.
The building’s history illustrates strategic tenant realignments amid significant financial sector mergers, ultimately establishing Duke Energy as the primary occupant within a prime Charlotte location.
Post-Completion
In August 2010, commercial real estate agency Cassidy Turley leased on the 34th floor, occupying part of the area previously held by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal before that firm closed its Charlotte office in 2009.
By August 2012, Babson Capital Management expanded its presence by leasing on both the 33rd and 34th floors—an increase of 50% compared to its prior space at Charlotte Plaza—to accommodate company growth.
As of November 2012, Wells Fargo occupied spanning two trading floors and employed up to 1,500 staff. This location became Wells Fargo’s largest center for investment banking and capital markets operations.
Wells Fargo announced plans to vacate One Wells Fargo Center by late 2021. By 2020, it was the building’s largest tenant with , initiating consolidation efforts by leasing the entire 300 South Brevard building. This expansion followed Duke Energy’s departure and included relocating personnel to Three Wells Fargo Center.
550 South Tryon
Duke Energy’s exit opened up large contiguous areas: (floors 7–14), (15–21), (30–32), and (40–42). By December 31, 2021, Duke had completely vacated the premises, prompting a temporary renaming to 550 South Tryon after removal of all Duke Energy branding.
With Wells Fargo moving into former Duke-occupied zones, it now controls approximately 95% of the building. The bank is undertaking renovations across 21 floors plus the food court to support its growing operations. On June 15, 2025, Wells Fargo installed prominent signage on both sides of the building’s distinctive handlebar roof via helicopter-assisted installation.
Construction
Initially revealed in spring 2004, official design visuals were published on December 6, 2006. The project was originally intended for a location adjacent to 400 South Tryon, with plans for a structure reaching with 34 stories. Site work commenced in February 2006, starting with the demolition of a Firestone Tire dealership. Excavation followed for a parking facility extending below ground, involving the use of more than explosives. Over 60,000 dump truck loads of soil and rock were hauled away, some of which was repurposed for constructing the third runway at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.
Batson-Cook Construction served as the general contractor, employing ready-mix concrete supplied by Concrete Supply Co. Structural engineering services were provided by TRC International Ltd based in Sarasota, Florida. The building’s core consists of poured-in-place concrete, while the floors incorporate precast double tees commonly used in parking structures, spanning between the central core and exterior support systems. The concrete utilized has a strength rating of .
The certificate of occupancy was granted on December 23, 2009, with the lobby and parking garage officially opening their doors on January 2, 2010.
Features
Standing as the tallest edifice within the Levine Center for the Arts (previously known as Wells Fargo Cultural Campus) and boasting Charlotte’s largest building footprint at , this development includes plans for an additional 46-story condominium tower alongside prominent cultural venues such as the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Mint Museum Uptown, Knight Theater, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and a History Museum.
The structure has earned LEED Platinum certification by integrating water-efficient plumbing fixtures, a rainwater harvesting system that supplies make-up water for cooling towers, and a green roof installation. The excavated rock material was locally recycled into crushed gravel for reuse.
The exterior is adorned with hundreds of programmable LED and metal halide lights designed by Gabler-Youngston Architectural Lighting Design. This sophisticated lighting array delivers vibrant dynamic displays and accentuates significant sports events visible from Bank of America Stadium. For example, it glows blue to celebrate Carolina Panthers touchdowns and shifts to team colors during scoring moments at ACC Championship Games.
See also
- List of tallest buildings in Charlotte
- Levine Center for the Arts
- List of tallest buildings in North Carolina
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
- Duke Energy Plaza