Design Features
For many years, 100 North Main was crowned with a large illuminated "UP Bank" sign, visible for miles, The sign was dismantled in late 2005 due to the acquisition of Union Planters National Bank by Regions Bank. As of April 2007, the sign had not been replaced and the tower's top cap is a blue, empty box - giving the building a somewhat abandoned appearance. Because of the "UP Bank" sign, many Memphians mistakenly believe that 100 North Main was the headquarters building of Union Planters, although the bank's actual headquarters was at 67 Madison Avenue and, later, 6200 Poplar Avenue.
The building was constructed with a revolving restaurant atop the main roof. This restaurant operated under several different owners and names (Top of the 100 Club, Pinnacle, etc.), but is now vacant. Behind the restaurant was a Japanese garden which closed in 1971. A few large stones and a concrete path are all that remain of the garden today.
The base of the tower is a multilevel parking garage. Some retail space is also accessible from street-level entrances.
In their 1986 book Memphis: An Architectural Guide, authors Eugene J. Johnson and Robert D. Russell, Jr. called 100 North Main "one of the least interesting" downtown structures.
Read more about this topic: 100 North Main
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