How does an office/condo development put on hold during the recession turn into the hottest spot in the city, make headlines and fill up Charlotteans' Instagram stories?

With a skyscraper including a rooftop bar overlooking the city, a big grand opening event and an aerialist, to start. With great fanfare, Uptown’s newest skyscraper, 300 South Tryon, officially opened its doors to the Queen City on Thursday. The $330M development includes a trophy office tower connected to Kimpton Park Hotel.

Global financial services firm Barings owns 300 South Tryon and is the anchor tenant in the 25-story tower, which features flexible office space.

According to The Spectrum Cos., which developed the office tower and hotel with Barings and is a tenant in the office building, 300 South Tryon was the first office tower out of the ground after the recession.

Initially, The Spectrum Cos. had plans for — and even began work on — a different kind of project for this site, according to CEO Darryl Dewberry.

“But the Great Recession put those plans on hold in 2008, which ironically made it possible for us to develop this even more remarkable project,” he said. “What started years ago as a smaller office/condo project morphed into the corporate headquarters and office tower with a boutique luxury hotel that is here now.”

Architects LS3P focused on designing a building that would sail away from the others in the Charlotte skyline. Designer Phil Oliver said his team chose a design with curved facades that start at the base and lead up to a distinctive crown, which they said features a series of airfoils resembling a sail.

“We wanted an asymmetric feel,” Oliver said. “When looking up from the ground, the building sort of slides up and away from you, then disappears into the sky.”

Tenants include international law firms King & Spalding and Winston & Strawn; food services company Elior North America; IT management consultants CapTech; CRE investment manager FCA Partners; and furniture designer Knoll. More than half of the 638K SF of office space is leased.

A coffee shop will open Dec. 11 and a French restaurant in spring 2018.

Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel is a 217-room boutique hotel overlooking Romare Bearden Park and BB&T BallPark.

The 18-story hotel features more than 9K SF of event and meeting space, 14 suites and a 1,300 SF presidential suite. Merchant & Trade rooftop lounge features a 2K SF rooftop lawn.

Part of MassMutual, Barings is a $299B global financial services firm with more than 1,800 associates, more than 650 investment professionals and offices in 16 countries.

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of InterContinental Hotels, operates more than 60 hotels and 70 restaurants, bars and lounges in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.