Distribution centers generally aren’t known for their architecture, but Dollar General’s Alabama facility designed by the Leo A. Daly team does double duty as a functional yet visually striking space. Stretching one million square feet across more than 100 acres, the center comprises a warehouse, shipping and receiving truck guardhouses, a truck maintenance and dispatch facility, pump house, administrative office, and employee hub. A sky bridge provides interconnectivity among the buildings. To enhance employee wellness and foster interaction, the hub includes such features as a 600-seat cafeteria daylit by both translucent and glazed windows and complemented by a porch where employees can relax or host a cookout. The facility’s aesthetic takes its inspiration from the very trucks it traffics. The warehouse façade has concrete panels, which are embellished with a tire-tread design, while finished steel panels interior walls and faux particleboard covering the ceiling is reminiscent of of semitruck storage containers.
