It is too bad that the old building couldn’t have been kept and the new one added to it using similar architecture.

I for one am truly sorry to see the destruction of this iconic modernist building. I love the horizontal planes intersecting with the vertical four-story stair tower. The 1960 black and white photograph vividly shows how beautiful and graceful this building once was — long before it was all covered over in drab white paint. Yet another major architectural loss for Raleigh.

I am sad to see this building gone, not just for its architectural value, but also for what it meant to Raleigh’s history. I am also sad to see that some people don’t value this, but I guess not many folks, either remember an “older Raleigh” or were here in Raleigh, to know that it once had a distinctive charm that no longer exists.

Celeste,

PLEASE do NOT give them ideas!!!

The walled patio/garden that raleighgirl mentions was designed by Lewis Clarke, FASLA & ARIBA, and installed by Clarence Steppe. There were several, large speciment trees that were lowered by crane over the parking deck railing down into the lower level with the restaurant. Very exotic move for the time. The patio/garden featured a closed fountain and something rather unique – up lighting mingling amongst the various textures, colors, and heights of the plants. From inside the restaurant, the planting and fountain looked like a magical, gigantic terrarium. So, not only is a Valand building gone, but so is a Lewis Clarke landscape architecture design.

Hey Jack, why don’t you do us all a favor and go back to where you originally came from. What you fail to see is that Raleigh is not a Boston, or a Jersey City, or whatever the new influx of people are trying to make it. Raleigh was once a small southern city; it had a distinctive charm that is almost all gone. I moved out of Raleigh back in 1984 because I didn’t like the way it was going then. The city I where I was born and grew up in, was disappearing and I didn’t like it. I wanted to live in a place where there was still some semblance of southern charm. I moved to a rural part of western Wake County. And today even that area is transforming daily into a New York satellite. I don’t really have a problem with the people coming into this area, but I do have a problem when they want to destroy those things I value.

Although the trend towards preserving mid-century modern architecture has been introduced to the Triangle and has a loyal and growing group of supporters, it appears that the influence has not been able to take hold in the places where decisions are made. We are proud to say that we have a large number of modern homes & buildings for a southern town, and we as a group like to see them valued for their architectural style and contribution to local history, and as a “living” representation of a certain progressive mindset that existed in Raleigh in the 50’s & 60’s, as a result of the architectural talent that was fostered at NCSU.

Thank goodness for people like George Smart, who has done an award winning and recognized job of organizing and documenting homes and buildings that fall into this category, and were previously not held in such esteem. And thank goodness for John Morris, who has done and outstanding job of documenting their history through photographs and reporting their demise as the population of mid-century modern continues to shrink. At the very least, at least we have that.

Reading these comments I’m struck by how many people are sad about 410 Oberlin Road’s destruction, yet there have been few recollections about being inside – two posts about Ballentine’s Cafeteria downstairs and yrowens’s interesting information about the landscape architecture. I’d have expected comments about working or visiting there, or the views, or something specific to the experience of being in the tower as we’ve seen about other notable buildings on Goodnight Raleigh.

I think 410 Oberlin Road suffered two significant strikes against it. First, as with many modern buildings, it’s often hard to feel nostalgic about timeless design. Raleigh Boy’s point is well-taken; the building was more attractive in its original colors. But with so much commercial architecture built as if the developers were hoping to avoid the hassle of future landmark status, it’s no wonder that most of our fond memories are reserved for buildings that we care about as destinations rather than as sculpture.

The other strike against 410 Oberlin Road was more specific. We shouldn’t forget that it was designed at a time when almost any business that mattered was conducted downtown. Orienting the building short-side to Oberlin Road meant that the long side was visible from points south and southeast. I’ve wondered how much of that was an effort to distract potential visitors from the largely African American community in what was once the town of Oberlin beyond the new building to the north and northwest.

While others have written fondly of their time at Ballentine’s Cafeteria, I have to say that, 20 years ago, we found it creepy. At S&W, the clientele was as varied as Raleigh’s population, but the only non-white people we ever saw at Ballentine’s were employees. Why would any member of a minority group choose to patronize an establishment that offered a Confederate Room? Ballentine’s fell off our list pretty early.

Banks Talley, thank you for taking the time to respond to my post and share your recollections of Ballentine’s. Since my last comment was about their lack of non-white patrons, I don’t quite understand your post beginning with “Actually,” unless you really intended to equate racial minorities with “disabled and mentally disabled folks.” I hope not.

It’s clear that you thought Ballentine’s was a great place. Perhaps you didn’t notice the homogeneity of the clientele, or maybe you were more comfortable there than in S&W’s integrated dining areas. It seems that one person’s vestige of the past is another’s discomfiting anomaly.

I never knew this building when Ballentine’s was open, but I did appreciate the design. I spent a while photographing the structure when I heard it was to be demolished, and I’m now glad to have those memories. Though, as others have said, I still think one of the biggest problems with the design was its orientation–the narrow, undecorated side facing Oberlin was, frankly, boring. And the “back” of the building that one approached when traveling southward was also plain–unfortunately that was the side that faced the majority of Cameron Village. The very attractive south face, the actual front of the building, was always in my experience somewhat hidden by trees and the building next door.

Wouldn’t have made a bit of difference in the end though. Cameron Village does need more residential and mixed-use options lest the whole area die–it’s just highly unfortunate that a fine modernist building will be replaced by neoclassical (and not even *good* neoclassical) cookie-cutter crap.

Chris M., thank you for describing the problems with the building’s undecorated Oberlin Road and north sides. I didn’t mention those in my comment on 11/08/2011, but I agree with you.

NCSU, funny–I thought Balentine’s food was as good or better than S&W’s, especially the fish. It was the overall experience that felt less and less right. We ate at Balentine’s for dinner and on weekends, so the demographics may have been different from your lunchtime visits. I don’t know about you, but I’ve gone out with coworkers to lots of places that I wouldn’t have chosen personally. I suspect the only way we’ll get the whole picture is if several people of color joined this thread and commented on the issue.

Banks Talley, with all due respect, ongoing use of the name Confederate Room was incompatible with the phrase “progressive thinking” long before the 1990s. And since we’ve never met, it seems you’d know little about my disability status, minority identification, or total Balentine’s patronage. However, your presumptions are quite revealing and I thank you for them.

Did I say forgettable? I meant regrettable.