Centene Plaza

The development is a 21-story office tower with a 1,700-space parking garage and a public plaza with decorative landscaping, including outdoor seating, a waterfall and a fire pit.
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Centene Plaza is a 21-story office tower with a 1,700-space parking garage and a public plaza with decorative landscaping, including outdoor seating, a waterfall and a fire pit. The building and pedestrian entertainment plaza feature striking artwork by Liam Gillick, such as an illuminated colored glass canopy connecting the 12-story garage to the office tower.

Clayco overcame various challenges to bring this project to market and almost fully leased status in just 15 months. CRG developed the financing plan that enabled the project to come to fruition amidst the worst financial collapse in years by working with the city of Clayton, county and state, as well as strong partnerships with the client and The Koman Group. Lamar Johnson Collaborative provided master planning and full design, architectural and engineering services for the garage and retail space. Concrete Strategies, Inc. self-performed the concrete framework using an innovative sequencing plan.

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Canopy at Centene Plaza

As sunlight shines down on the glass overhang between the building and the parking garage, the space beneath explodes in an array of dazzling colors.

The light-diffusing characteristics of glass reach their fullest potential in this canopy designed by artist Liam Gillick. Keeping in mind the needs of the people who travel between the two buildings, the architect sought to create an environment that literally protects users from the elements, but also shields them from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As sunlight shines down on the glass overhang between the building and the parking garage, the space beneath explodes in an array of dazzling colors. The ethereal quality achieved through this design provides a place for passerby to step back from their busy schedules and let their minds wander. Gillick describes the structure as “a link between a place of arrival and a place of work…a site for the distracted viewer who has other things on his mind.”