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Renaissance Center

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Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Map
General information
LocationDetroit, Michigan
 United States
Height
Antenna spire230.1 m (758 ft)
Roof221.5 m (727 ft)
Top floor212.3 m (697 ft)
Technical details
Floor count73 story tower with four
39 story towers and two
21 story towers
Floor area511,000 m²
(5.5 million ft² complex)
Design and construction
Architect(s)John Portman, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gensler, SmithGroup, Ghafari Associates

The Renaissance Center, nicknamed the RenCen, is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Detroit, Michigan, and the tallest building in Michigan since 1977. Located on the Detroit International Riverfront, the entire Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors Corporation, as its world headquarters. The central tower, called the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, is the tallest all-hotel skyscaper in the Western Hemisphere with the largest rooftop restaurant, called Coach Insignia.

John Portman was the principal architect for the original design. The first phase constructed a five-building rosette, with a 73-story hotel surrounded by four 39-story office towers. Portman designed the complex to have "interior spaces." This first phase officially opened in March 1977. Portman's design renewed attention to city architecture,[1] constructing the world's tallest skyscaper hotel at the time with the world's largest rooftop restaurant. Two additional 21-story office towers opened in 1981. This type of complex has been termed a 'city within a city' or a 'pseudo city'.

In 2003, General Motors completed a $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center for its world headquarters which it had purchased in 1996.[2] The renovation included the addition of a five-story Wintergarden which provides access to the International Riverfront.[3] Work continued in and around the complex until 2005. The Renaissance Center totals 5.5 million square feet (511,000 m²), making it one of the world's largest office complexes. Cost estimates to build the Renaissance Center today could exceed $5 billion. In 2006, a cruise-ship dock was added to Hart Plaza, adjacent to the Renaissance Center.

History

Conceived by Henry Ford II and financed primarily by the Ford Motor Company, the Renaissance Center became the world's largest private development with an anticipated 1971 cost of $500 million.[4] In part, civic leaders intended this ambitious urban renewal project to quell the white flight which increased, following the social unrest from the Twelfth Street riot in 1967. The project was intended to revitalize the economy of Detroit. In 1970, Ford Motor Company Chairman Henry Ford II teamed up to form Detroit Renaissance, a private non-profit development organization, which he headed in order to stimulate building activity in areas of Detroit that had been severely impacted. The group announced the first phase of construction in 1971. In addition, Detroit Renaissance contributed to a variety of other projects within the downtown area in the ensuing decades. Henry Ford II sold the concept of the Ren-Cen to the City and community leaders. Detroit mayor Roman Gribbs touted the project as "a complete rebuilding from bridge to bridge," referring to the area between the Ambassador Bridge that connected Detroit to Windsor, Canada and the MacArthur Bridge, which connects the city with Belle Isle Park. [4]

View of interior levels.

The "city within a city" began to rise. The first tower opened on July 1, 1976. Noted architect John Portman designed the Renaissance Center. He was the architect for the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel and the Peachtree Center in Atlanta, Georgia; the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California; and the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The first 5 towers were covered with 2,000,000 square feet (186,000 m2) of glass, and used about 400,000 cubic yards of concrete. Phase I of the Renaissance Center cost $337 million to construct, employing 7,000 workers.[4] In 1977, the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center, which opened as a Westin Hotel, became the world's tallest all-hotel skyscraper, surpassing its architectural twin, the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta. In 1986, what is today the known as Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore had surpassed it. Since 1986, the Renaissance Center's central tower has remained the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.

View of Marriott Hotel restaurant pods.

On April 15, 1977, Henry Ford II and Detroit Mayor Coleman Young unveiled a plaque commemorating the private investors whose funds made the project possible and, later that evening, 650 business and society leaders attended a benefit celebrating the Renaissance Center's formal dedication. The money raised from the $300-per-couple tickets went to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. When it opened, the cylindrical central tower was originally the flagship of the Westin Hotels. The top three floors of the hotel hosted an upscale restaurant, The Summit, that rotated to allow a 360 degree view.

In 1980, Detroit hosted the Republican National Convention which nominated Ronald Reagan who had stayed at the Renaissance Center while in Detroit.

Phase III, a residential development, was never completed. However, a separate group of luxury residential high rises named Riverfront Tower I, Riverfront Tower II (1983), and Riverfront Tower III (1991) were constructed on the west river area during Mayor Coleman Young's term.[4]

Metro Detroit expanded upon the 'city within a city' concept with the nearby 2.2 million sq.ft. (204,400 m²) Southfield Town Center office complex with its five inter-connected golden skyscrapers constructed from 1975 to 1989. In the ensuing years, the Renaissance Center would face competition from the growing suburban office market.

In 1987 the elevated monorail Detroit People Mover, after many years of construction, began operation with a stop at the Renaissance Center. At first, the Ford Motor Company had occupied many offices in the building. In 1996, General Motors purchased the complex and moved its world headquarters to the Renaissance Center downtown from what is now the historic Cadillac Place state office complex in the New Center area,[5] northwest of downtown. By 2003, GM had completed an extensive $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center.[2] This included a $100 million makeover for the hotel. Among GM's first actions was to remove the concrete berms facing Jefferson Avenue. The renovation includes a lighted glass walkway called the "green ring" for its green lights; it circles the interior mezzanine to make the complex easy to navigate, while the addition of the Wintergarden provides a view of the riverfront and Canada. A covered Skyway over Jefferson Avenue connects to the Millender Center, Courtyard by Marriott - Downtown Detroit, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, as a sort of "enclosed city within a city". In addition to the renovation cost, work continued in and around the complex until 2005 which included reconfiguring the roads.

The Renaissance Center is owned by General Motors, the hotel in the central tower is now occupied by the Marriott hotel chain and is called the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The 1298 room hotel is one of the largest operated by Marriott. Besides a $100 million makeover for the hotel, the rooftop restaurant (which no longer rotates) received a $10 million renovation and is occupied by the Coach Insignia. It serves Coach wines, a product of the Fisher family whose legacy includes Fisher Body, a name which is part of GM history.

The Renaissance Center's renovation provides for the prospect of continued development and restorations throughout the city. Architectural critics have touted the city's architecture as among America's finest.[1]

Statistics

Building Image Year Stories Height
feet / m 		Area
feet² / m² 		Principal
tenant(s)
Central - Hotel Tower 1977
2003 		73 727/221 1,660,000/154,000
estimate 		Marriott
Southwest - Tower 100 1977
2003 		39 522/159 575,000/53,400 General Motors
United States Post Office
Northwest - Tower 200 1977
2003 		39 522/159 575,000/53,400 General Motors
Northeast - Tower 300 File:MikerussellRENCENWintergarden.JPG 1977
2003 		39 522/159 575,000/53,400 General Motors
Southeast - Tower 400 1977
2003 		39 522/159 575,000/53,400 General Motors
Podium structures beneath
Towers 100-400 		1977
2003 		5 103/31.39 660,000/61,000 GM World,
exhibit space & retail
Tower 500 1981
2004 		21 339/103 320,000/30,000 Electronic Data Systems
& retail
Tower 600 1981
2004 		21 339/103 340,000/32,000 Deloitte
& retail
Wintergarden & shops 2001 5 103/31.39 150,000/14,000 GM & retail space
Wintergarden atrium 2001 5 103/31.39 40,000/3,700 GM main floor exhibit space
Mezzanine office 1977
2003 		NA NA 30,000/2,800 GM University
Renaissance Center total 1977
2004 		NA 727/221 5,500,000/511,000 All
RenCen decorated for Super Bowl XL
General Motors World Headquarters
Wintergarden was turned into a makeshift studio for ESPN during their Super Bowl XL coverage.
Donovan McNabb holds the ball in broadcast ESPN segment.
File:RenCenriverwalk.jpg
View from Detroit Riverfront.

Entirely owned by General Motors, the complex has 5,500,000 square feet (510,000 m2) of space. The centerpiece is the 1,298-room luxury hotel, 73-story 727 foot (221 m). Its height is measured from its main Wintergarden entrance on Atwater Street which faces the International Riverfront. The central tower is 738'-5" tall from lowest basement service level to the exterior elevator tower. It is 747'-0" from the basement driveway level. Famous for its cylindrical design, the central hotel tower's diameter is approximately 188 feet (57 m). The hotel has no floor labeled 7, 8, or 13. The five-story Wintergarden atrium leads into the central area which has an eight-story atrium lobby with artificial ponds, rounded concrete balconies, and terraces. The hotel features a major conference center with 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of meeting space including a Renaissance Ballroom for up to 2,200 guests with 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) for events, one of the largest in the United States. Floors 71 through 73 include the Coach Insignia, an upscale restaurant with a lounge area/observation floor. The Renaissance Center is on a 14-acre site (56,700 m²).

In 1977, its central tower opened as the tallest hotel in the world. It remains the tallest all hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and it is still the tallest building in Michigan. The smaller cylinders on sides of all the towers house the elevators. The four surrounding 39-story office towers (100-400) each reach 522 feet (159 m) and have a total of 2,300,000 square feet (210,000 m2) of office space. Each 39 story tower has a base five-story podium structure with 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) for retail space for a total of 660,000 square feet (61,000 m2). A portion of the central atrium area houses "GM World," a show case for GM vehicles.

Towers 100 and 200 can be accessed from the front of the podium, which lies exacty 14' (4.27m) higher than the Atwater Street/Wintergarden entrance at the back of the podium. Towers 100-400 are 503'-2.2" to the main roof parapet wall. If measured from the front of the podium along Jefferson Avenue, Towers 100 and 200 are exactly 14' shorter. Tower 200 contains the Riverfront 4, a four-screen, first-run movie theater, on the third floor of the tower. The Renaissance Club, a private club founded by Henry Ford II in 1987, is located on the 36th floor of the towerThe Renaissance Conference Center is located on the second floor of tower 300. Towers 300 and 400 can be accessed from the front of the podium, which lies exacty 14' (4.27m) higher than the Atwater Street/Wintergarden entrance at the back of the podium.

In December of 2001, the General Motors Wintergarden retail atrium was unveiled. Designed by Skidmore Owings & Merrill, it rises 103 feet (31.39m) tall at its highest point offering direct access to the Detroit River. In 1981, two 21 story towers (500-600) were added each of which reach 339 feet (103 m). Towers 500 and 600 can be accessed by from the front of the podium along North Renaissance Center Drive, which sits 33'-8" higher than the back of the podium along Franklin Street. The parapet wall rises 4'-3" above the main roof deck of Tower 500 and 600. GM gained control of Tower 500 and 600 in 2001. In addition, the five-story Wintergarden atrium area, added in 2001, has 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) devoted to retail with 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of contiguous main floor exhibit space which was used by the media during Super Bowl XL.

In 2003, GM completed its $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center, though work continued in and around the complex until 2005. The project included the work of many different architects including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of Chicago, SmithGroup of Detroit, Gensler Detroit office, and Ghafari Associates of Dearborn who did the renovation of the office towers. The majority of the construction operations were led by Turner Construction Company. The cost of the renovation does not include the cost for reconfiguring the streets around the Renaissance Center or the cost of river park along the Detroit International Riverfront. Hines completed redevelopment of Towers 500 & 600 for GM in 2004. Estimates to construct the Renaissance Center today could exceed $5 billion. Of the more than 10,000 people who work in the complex, about 6,000 are GM employees.

Redevelopment

The Renaissance Center along the Detroit International Riverfront.
International Riverfront area under construction
Detroit skyline along the Detroit River.

The $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center completed in 2003 has helped improve Detroit's economy.[2] Together, GM's renovation of the Renaissance Center, the cost to re-work the roads around the complex, and the Detroit Riverwalk exceeded $1 billion; the project constituted a substantial investment in downtown. Over 10,000 people work inside the complex which includes a 1298 room hotel. Nearly 2,000 state workers now occupy GM's former office building in the restored Cadillac Place in the historic New Center area. The Wintergarden added to the Renaissance Center faces the Detroit Riverfront with stunning views of the Windsor skyline. The cement berms facing Jefferson Ave. were removed greatly improving access to the complex. The complex houses offices, a hotel, retail specialty shops, restaurants, a jazz club, and a movie theater. A glass front door has been installed, opening up the building to visitors and to the city of Detroit. The addition of the Wintergarden provides views of the Detroit River, a suspended lighted glass walkway encircling the complex (called the "green ring") makes for easy navigation, a GM sponsored showroom of historical vehicles, a completely restored hotel, a renovated rooftop restaurant, and the addition of GM's corporate logo to crown the top of the building.

The Riverfront Promenade was dedicated on December 17, 2004 and helped to usher in a return to recreational uses of Detroit's International Riverfront. GM played a key role in the transformation of the riverfront with a donation of $120 million to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy for the development of a world class riverfront promenade which has a planned cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. With the addition of several prominent restaurants and retailers to the complex, notably JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Seldom Blues, and a first-run movie theatre, the Ren-Cen has started to redefine Detroit once again for a new generation. In 2006, the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority added a new state of the art cruise ship dock adjacent to the Renaissane Center on Hart Plaza. Port authority bonds were used to add another 1500 space parking garage to the Renaissance Center. The Omni Riverplace Hotel in a restored historic structure is situated along the Riverwalk. Planned projects complementing the Renaissance Center continue along the Detroit International Riverfont which include development of luxury condominiums, retail, and entertainment usage.

In popular culture

In 2004, the Renaissance Center was featured in the Kevin Costner and Joan Allen film, The Upside of Anger. Costner's character plays a DJ for WRIF 101 FM, a real Detroit FM rock station, whose studio, in the film, is housed in the Renaissance Center. Among others, the Renaissance Center is featured in the film Grosse Pointe Blank, starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver. For the 2005 Major League Baseball all-star game, the center tower of the Renaissance Center was wrapped with an image of a large baseball smashing into the tower, with "4612 Ft." written below it to indicate the distance from home plate at Comerica Park. For Super Bowl XL held in Detroit on February 5, 2006, a large National Football League logo was wrapped around the main tower just beneath the GM logo. The Renaissance Center hosted the major media for Super Bowl XL. GM offered the Wintergarden a venue for the annual Fash Bash, a major fashion event and fundraiser coordinated by the Detroit Institute of Arts

Location

The Renaissance Center, east of Woodward Avenue and the city's central financial district, is set apart from the rest of Detroit's skyscrapers. From the top of the Renaissance Center's Coach Insignia restaurant, patrons peer down upon the neogothic spires of the Comerica Tower and city's Art Deco skyscrapers and stadiums. The view from the top extends for 30 miles (48 km) in all directions. A pedestrian walkway over Jefferson Avenue connects the complex to the Millender Center which connects to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center. Hart Plaza, Cobo Hall (home to the North American International Auto Show) and Joe Louis Arena (Detroit Red Wings) are several blocks to the west. Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers) and Ford Field (Detroit Lions) are several streets northward. The American side of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel emerges directly besides the Renaissance Center. Renaissance Center is a station on the Detroit People Mover. The Renaissance Center's modernist architecture balances the city's panoramic waterfront skyline, a frequent feature in photography taken from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario.

Tours

The Renaissance Center offers tours which are free of charge four times a day six days a week (as of March 2007). The tour covers among other places the GM Wintergarden, GM World, an elevator ride up to the 72nd floor and a tour of the movie theater.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.
  2. ^ a b c Mercer, Tenisha (October 19, 2005).GM's RenCen renovation attracts new business back. Detroit News.Retrieved on July 24, 2007.
  3. ^ AIA Detroit Urban Priorities Committee, (January 10, 2006).Top 10 Detroit InteriorsModel D Media.Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d Detroit News Staff (September 29, 2001). How the Renaissance Center changed the landscape of Detroit Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
  5. ^ New Center Council (accessed 04-06-2007).

References

  • Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
  • Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Portman, John and Jonathan Barnett (1976). The Architect as Developer. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-0705-0536-5.
  • Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.

External links

Preceded by Tallest Building in Michigan
1977-present 		Succeeded by
incumbent

42°19′44.38″N 83°2′22.95″W / 42.3289944°N 83.0397083°W / 42.3289944; -83.0397083

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