10 Light Street

10 Light Street is Baltimore's finest Art Deco skyscraper, a 34-story tower completed in 1929 that stood as the tallest building in the city for a generation. The exterior is a classic stepped Art Deco composition; the lobby inside — if you can get access — is extraordinary, with gilded ceilings, polychrome marble, and the full ornamental vocabulary of 1920s banking grandeur.

The building is now residential, but the lobby can sometimes be viewed from the entrance on busy days. It is on Light Street near the Inner Harbor, making it an easy addition to a downtown walk. Baltimore's downtown has several excellent Art Deco buildings worth noting as you walk.

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10 Light Street was completed in 1929 as the headquarters of the Baltimore Trust Company, and at 34 stories was the tallest building in Baltimore for decades. The building is an excellent example of the Art Deco skyscraper style at its peak — particularly the lobby, with its polychrome marble floors, gilded ceilings, and ornate banking hall. The building survived the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and the decline of the bank that built it, and now contains apartments.

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