{"id":139,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:31:12","latitude":35.79719379665544920499087311327457427978515625,"longitude":-78.656756936261217560968361794948577880859375,"title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/23c6e44ededc6563b08264b6b8986452.jpg","address":"1001 Wade Avenue","all_locations":[],"zoom":18,"creator":["RHDC"],"description":"The Occidental is among the first office buildings erected outside Raleigh&#039;s central business district in the vanguard of suburban development. Cameron Village, the first shopping center in the state, was an ambitious mixed-used development that included housing and offices. Occidental is the finest--and the least altered--of the several modernist office buildings in that development. Architect Leif Valand, who moved to Raleigh to design Cameron Village, produced an International Style building distinguished by its fine materials: red Roman brick, pale Alabama limestone, and green-tinted windows in bright aluminum frames. Outdoor terraces take advantage of the hilltop location.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nDate:  1956","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<a href=\"https://cityofraleigh0drupal.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/drupal-prod/COR10/OccidentalLifeInsuranceBuilding_LandmarkOrdinanceAndReport.pdf\">Occidental Life Insurance Building Landmark Designation Ordinance and Report</a>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/23c6e44ededc6563b08264b6b8986452.jpg":{"id":167,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building, 2009","description":"Image by Michael Zirkle Photography, copyright Raleigh Historic Development Commission.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/23c6e44ededc6563b08264b6b8986452.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/34918d3cd8cbb712b4c685c0d0360801.jpg":{"id":455,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building, date unknown","description":"Image courtesy of Rani Mustafa and Trademark Properties.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/34918d3cd8cbb712b4c685c0d0360801.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/898ab63b77ffcfcd55c5cb59afc218df.jpg":{"id":456,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building, date unknown","description":"Image courtesy of Rani Mustafa and Trademark Properties.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/898ab63b77ffcfcd55c5cb59afc218df.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/d840d8e750786072febf1cb4f0d3ed36.jpg":{"id":869,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building","description":"Image courtesy of Capital Area Preservation.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/d840d8e750786072febf1cb4f0d3ed36.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/1594a2e14a583537f236f95e34d2a440.jpg":{"id":921,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building","description":"Image courtesy of Raleigh Modern.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/1594a2e14a583537f236f95e34d2a440.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/cee182ef72becd03b91a31753386f0db.jpg":{"id":922,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building","description":"Image courtesy of Raleigh Modern.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/cee182ef72becd03b91a31753386f0db.jpg"},"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/fullsize/61d041a4cb4a2c37a5020ee2ddf81dac.jpg":{"id":923,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Occidental Life Insurance Building","description":"Image courtesy of Raleigh Modern.","thumbnail":"https://mail.raleighhistoric.org/files/square_thumbnails/61d041a4cb4a2c37a5020ee2ddf81dac.jpg"}}}