Goodnight Raleigh - a look at the art, architecture, history, and people of the city at night

A Lost Gem on Hillsborough Street: The Joe Cox Stained Glass Mural

The gem on Hillsborough St. in 1962 — at night, the way Joe Cox intended it. (Photo courtesy the NC Office of  Archives and History, State Archives.)

Forty-seven years ago next month, Branch Banking and Trust Company  opened its  “State College Office” at the corner of Hillsborough St. and Oberlin Rd. The ribbon cutting ceremony was held with great fanfare, with the mayor of Raleigh, the chancellor of NC State and the president of BB&T in attendance.

Though the pick and shovel groundbreaking had occurred several months earlier, the bank’s opening “broke ground” in another, more significant way — it was the first Raleigh bank to feature a work of public art as an integral part of its design — a dazzling stained glass mural.

“The mural represents the growing cooperation between artist and architect that is rapidly spreading throughout the country,” the N&O reported in an article on the event in 1962.

The architect of the State College Office was F. Carter Williams; the artist who designed the stained glass mural was none other than the renowned Raleigh artist, color theorist and School of Design professor, Joe Cox.

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Let’s turn the switch back on the Color Wall!

The composite of photographs of the Color Wall seen above was created by Libby Levi (College of Design '07) for the summer 2007 issue of the NC State University alumni magazine, NC State. The photos were taken by Daniel Kim, CALS Communication Services.

The composite of photographs of the Color Wall seen above was created by Libby Levi (College of Design '07) for the summer 2007 issue of the NC State University alumni magazine, NC State. The photos were taken by Daniel Kim, CALS Communication Services.

 
 
A few weeks ago Goodnight Raleigh! published a story on NC State’s celebrated Color Wall, which is housed in the DH Hill Library. The kinetic light sculpture, the creation of renowned artist and long-time College of Design professor, Joe Cox, was installed in the library’s book tower in 1972. Unfortunately, the mechanical light switching system that operates the Color Wall began to malfunction within just a few years after its installation. Repeated repairs were made over the next three decades, but to the viewing public, the Color Wall was dark more often than lit.

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On Again; Off Again: DH Hill Library’s ‘Color Wall’

How can one describe NC State’s “Color Wall”? To me, this unique kinetic sculpture is an exuberant symphony in light. Vertical patterns of color slowly and methodically undulate, everchanging, across a white background divided by slender black metal vanes. The 12′ x 36′ mural projects from behind a glass wall on the first floor of the DH Hill Library book tower, facing Hillsboro St. The color and light display, which is intended for viewing at night, is an incredible sight to behold. I was a student at NC State when the Color Wall was installed in 1972, and for me it was love at first sight. Many times a couple friends and I would sit in our parked car in the bank parking lot across the street, transfixed and mesmerized by the stunning display of color. Read more »