Designed by Paul Rudolph and completed in 1972 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, the Burroughs Wellcome Headquarters is a landmark of Late Modernist architecture. Its bold, cantilevered concrete volumes step down the landscape in a ziggurat-like formation, echoing the natural contours of the site.
Rudolph’s interplay of mass and void, combined with his signature textured concrete, creates a rhythmic and sculptural composition that is both monumental and deeply site-responsive. Carefully modulated daylight animates the interiors, reinforcing the building’s dynamic spatial qualities. Celebrated as one of the most distinctive corporate buildings in the U.S., it stands as a testament to Rudolph’s innovative and expressive architectural vision