At over 100 years old, the Waters Building is an important historical piece to downtown Florence, SC. After the building had been left vacant for a number of years, Key Architecture (now Equip Studio) was engaged to renovate the building into a vital cultural space for downtown activity.

Façades were returned to their original appearance and all damaged elements were repaired to restore the building’s exterior. The beautiful first-level and mezzanine area will be annex museum space for the adjacent Florence County Museum. These spaces have gorgeous column, beam, trim, and stair details highlighted with decorative tin ceiling that has been magnificently restored.

The second and third levels are striking in the juxtaposition of historical-old and pristine-new. These top two levels have been transformed into office spaces for a variety of tenants around a central stair — a task that proved challenging while providing individual restrooms and egress requirements for each suite. This project is yet another key element in the activation of the once-dormant downtown into a buzzing cultural center.