Wells Fargo Plaza (Phoenix)

The Wells Fargo Plaza is a high-rise skyscraper located on 100 West Washington Street in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It opened as the First National Bank Plaza on October 25, 1971, and was later known as the First Interstate Bank Building. It is 356 feet (109 m) tall. It is designed in the Brutalist style, an architectural style spawned from the International Style. The “raw concrete” element of Brutalist architecture allows for no exterior finish which exposes the rough concrete columns and beams.

Wells Fargo Plaza
Wells Fargo Plaza
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Class A Office Space
Location	Washington at 1st Avenue Phoenix
Coordinates	33.4483°N 112.0757°W / 33.4483; -112.0757
Completed	1971
Height
Roof	356 ft (109 m)
Top floor	27
Technical details
Floor count	27
Floor area	419,997 sq ft (39,019.0 m2)[1]
Design and construction
Architect	Charles Luckman and Associates
Structural engineer	Magadini Associates
Main contractor	Henry C. Beck Company

The tower was designed by the Phoenix office of Charles Luckman and Associates and constructed by the Henry C. Beck Company.[2]

The tower sits on a base three stories high, then rises to its full height. The repetitive angular windows add another Brutalist element of blocky appearance and expression of structure.

The Wells Fargo History Museum was located on the first floor, but closed in 2020. Exhibits included an extensive collection of western-themed art depicting Wells Fargo's role in the mines of Arizona, a 19th-century stagecoach, telegraph equipment and minerals.[3]

In 2021, the building was purchased for $46.5 million by the City of Phoenix. It will house the city's 911 operators, the Phoenix Police Department, and other city departments as needed. The large yellow Wells Fargo logo that had adorned the building's north and south facades for years was removed in late 2021, reflecting the change in ownership.[4]