JUNCTION WEST

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Completed | 2018

Photographs | Susan Holt

The Junction West redevelopment transformed a small collection of historic warehouse buildings, backed up against the railroad with a view of the Raleigh skyline, into a vibrant mixed-use destination. Recognizing the significance of the site, the owner pursued an extension of the National Historic Depot District, enabling the preservation of these 1914–1950 warehouse structures through Historic Tax Credits.

Once isolated within a largely industrial area, the property now serves as a gateway to Raleigh Union Station and includes a public courtyard space that connects the historic warehouses to the surrounding district.

The warehouse dates back to 1914 and was originally storage for hay, grain, and livestock feed. The two-story wood-frame brick warehouse had sustained long-term water damage and settlement on poor foundations. The slab had to be replaced, and the bottom of the rotten columns were repaired with concrete plinths. An atrium was inserted with a grand stair to connect the two levels and a new skylight above

Two additional warehouse structures were adapted into Junction West, an event venue and neighborhood bar. The historic warehouse is a steel and wood-framed brick building that was built in 1918 and over the years was a storage space for various businesses from produce to newspapers. It is now a fresh, open event space flooded with natural daylight through historic replica windows and skylights above. The 1950’s pre-engineered steel-framed, corrugated metal warehouse addition is now a beloved neighborhood bar. The exposed steel girders and structure is celebrated in contrast to a crisp quartz bar with floating shelves. Views to the courtyard and train tracks are maximized with a continuous row of sliding windows, shielded by a large overhang. The courtyard space to the south boasts a dynamic view of the smaller historic warehouse district layered with the modern Raleigh skyline, all while backing up to a freight railroad.