1 Independent Square

The 1 Independent Square is a Postmodernist skyscraper designed by KBJ Architects, and built between 1972 and 1974 in Jacksonville, FL.

1 Independent Square is not the only name you might know this building by though. It is common for companies to want to attach their names to iconic buildings when they move in, or for the general public to come up with nicknames, and this one is no exception. The building has changed names several times over the years, and is also known as:

• Modis Tower until 2011.
• Independent Life & Accident Insurance Company Building between 1974 and 1995.
• Accustaff Building between 1995 and 2002.
• Wells Fargo Center between 2011 and 2024.

Its precise street address is 1 Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL. You can also find it on the map here.

The public enters the building through a four-story atrium covered with tropical vegetation.

KBJ Architects was the architecture firm in charge of the architectural design.

That being said, architecture is a complex discipline involving many professionals from different fields, without whom this building would have not been possible. We will surely be leaving out a lot of names here, but here is a list of the people we do know also played their part in making the 1 Independent Square a reality:

• The Auchter Company as the Main Contractor
• Capital Partners as the Main Developer

The 1 Independent Square can be categorized as a Postmodernist building.

The 1 Independent Square was completed in 1974. At that time Postmodernism was the prevailing style. Fresh, bold and daring, architects were exploring the freedom of designing without having to follow the strict, sometimes arbitrary rules of a specific architectural movement (which ironically became a movement itself). The 1 Independent Square was therefore every much in line with what the architecture community, and the people liked and wanted at the time.

The 1 Independent Square uses a frame structure made of steel columns and slabs.

A frame structure uses a combination of beams and columns to sustain the building's weight. The walls in this case are non-load bearing, which allows for more flexibility when distributing the interior spaces.

The facade uses a non-load bearing curtain wall system. This means the curtain wall modules are anchored to the building's structural frame, typically by being attached to the edge of the floor slabs. The curtain wall system connects to the slabs using brackets, anchors, and mullions, which transfer the loads imposed by wind and temperature changes, to the building's primary structural elements.

This setup allows the curtain wall to accommodate differential movement between the facade and the structural frame, such as thermal expansion, floor deflection, or sway from wind forces. This system's integration with the slab edges also allows for continuous insulation and weatherproofing layers.

From an aesthetic point of view, the facade features limestone panels at the corners, edges of the sloped base, and a crown that frames a a reflective dark-blue glass curtain wall with sleek aluminum frames.