SunTrust Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 200 South Orange
General information
Type	Office
Location	200 South Orange Avenue Orlando, Florida United States
Coordinates	28°32′23″N 81°22′48″W / 28.5398°N 81.3799°W / 28.5398; -81.3799
Completed	1988
Cost	$100 million ($247 million in 2022 dollars )
Owner	Piedmont Office Realty Trust
Management	Piedmont Operating Partnership
Height
Roof	441 ft (134.4 m)
Technical details
Floor count	35
Floor area	654,678 sq ft (60,822 m2)
Lifts/elevators	31
Design and construction
Architect	Skidmore Owings and Merrill

The 200 South Orange building is a tall skyscraper in the main business area of Orlando, Florida. It stands at 441 ft (134.4 m) (about 134 meters) high. This makes it the tallest multi-story building in Orlando and the surrounding Central Florida region, not counting buildings in Tampa. The building was finished in 1988. It has 35 floors, with 30 of them used as office space.

When it was first built, the skyscraper was called the Sun Bank Center. Its name changed after SunTrust Banks, the company that owned it, started joining with other banks in the 1990s. The building was originally meant to be the main office for SunTrust Banks in Florida. However, by 2009, SunTrust had moved out of a large part of the building to use less space. The building is now known simply as 200 South Orange.

What Does 200 South Orange Look Like?

The 200 South Orange building has a modern design. It uses colors like beige and green, with touches of blue. The building has 35 floors, and 30 of these are used for offices. There is also a six-level parking garage for cars.

The main entrance has a large, open space called an atrium that is eight stories tall. At the very top of the building, there are four green pyramid shapes. The top five floors are actually one very large floor. From here, you can see amazing views of Orlando and the areas around it. However, this special floor is not open to the public.

How Was the Building Designed?

An older skyscraper was included in the design of 200 South Orange. This original building was called the First National Bank at Orlando. It was built between 1958 and 1960. When the main tower was built in 1987-1988, the older building was updated. Its outside was changed to match the new design.

This older building was the first of six branch banks that later became Sun Bank, and then SunTrust. The windows of the original building were changed one by one, instead of being kept as a single stripe. The building's name changed from SunTrust Center to 200 South Orange because the SunTrust company moved out. They are now in a newer building called The Church Street Plaza Tower, which opened in late 2019 and is now called SunTrust Plaza.

Special Features of the Building

At night, the 200 South Orange building lights up. The four pyramids at the top glow with an amber (yellow-orange) light. The upper floors shine with white light. There is also a restaurant on the ground floor of the building.

The tower is home to the offices of other countries. For example, the consulate of Argentina is located here. A consulate is like a small embassy that helps people from that country who are visiting or living in Orlando. The building also has trade offices for Qingdao, China.

Why Is It the Tallest Building in Orlando?

The height of 200 South Orange, at 441 ft (134.4 m), is thought to be the unofficial height limit for skyscrapers in downtown Orlando. Many local architects believe that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set this height limit. The FAA is the government group that controls air travel.

This height limit is likely in place because the Orlando Executive Airport is only a few miles east of downtown Orlando. Airplanes flying to and from this airport often pass over the city center. Because of this, 200 South Orange has been the tallest building in Orlando since it was completed in 1988.