801 Grand High Rise Building | |
---|---|
![]() View of the north-east corner of 801 Grand. 711 High Street, the headquarters of Principal Financial Group, is in the foreground | |
![]() | |
General information | |
Location | 801 Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
Construction started | 1989 [1] |
Completed | 1991 [1] [2] |
Owner | Principal Financial Group |
Height | |
Roof | 630 ft (190 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 45 |
Floor area | 922,467 sq ft (85,700.0 m2) [3] |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | HOK [2] |
Other information | |
Public transit access | ![]() |
Website | |
801grand |
801 Grand High Rise Building (referred to as the 801 Grand Building and previously known as The Principal Building) is a 45-story skyscraper in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, operated and managed by JLL Americas and owned by Principal Financial Group (Principal Real Estate). The building was constructed in 1989 and is the tallest building in Iowa. It is part of a larger downtown campus run by Principal Financial Group and features a skywalk and an eight-sided copper pyramid at its top.
Formal construction of the 801 Grand Building began in 1989, with Principal Financial Group serving as the developers and owners. [4] [5] In February 1989, the foundation, consisting of 38,860 cubic yards (29,710 m3) of concrete, was poured, and 139 caissons were drilled. [6] The building was designed by Hellmuth Obata and Kassabaum. [7] During the design phase of the building, the tower was designed to house office spaces and blend with the architecture of the local area. [8] The tower cost $70 million to construct, with an additional $19 million parking lot being constructed and financed by the city of Des Moines. The building featured 705,000 square feet of office space, with 62 percent having been leased prior to completion of the building. [5] In 1990, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Donald Avenson toured the nearly completed building, specifically visiting the 40th and 41st floors. In total, the project involved approximately 500 workers representing a dozen separate labor unions. [9]
The 45-story 801 Grand Building was completed and opened in 1991. [7] [8] The company JLL Americas serves as the buildings' manager. [10] When completed, the 630-foot (190 m) building overtook the Ruan Center as the tallest building in Iowa. [11] [7] The building's height was taller than One Kansas City Place (626 feet (191 m) tall) and the Metropolitan Square in St. Louis (591 feet (180 m) tall), making it the tallest building in the Midwest between Chicago and Denver. [5] This record was broken by Omaha's First National Bank Tower in 2002. [12] [13]
In 2014, Principal Financial Group refitted their entire downtown campus with diode lights. Originally, the campus featured white lights but these were changed to LEDs due to issues with the white lights attracting and killing corn borer moths. This project was part of a $284 million renovation. [14]
The 801 Grand Building follows a postmodern design. The tower's exterior is built out of granite with the upper levels featuring terraces and setbacks. [7] This was designed to minimize the building's impact on the city's skyline. [8] In total, the building's walls required a total of 3,000,000 pounds (1,400,000 kg) of granite. [9] The granite used in the 801 Grand's exterior is specifically Venetian gold granite, which is known for its distinctive golden color. The stone used for the 801 was originally mined in Brazil, processed in Italy, and imported to Des Moines. Conversely, the windows are framed with a darker variant of granite. [6]
The top of the building is an eight-sided pyramid covered in copper. Originally, the designers intended the copper to turn to a verdigris color via oxidation. Furthermore, the original 1987 designs indicate a light green cap that was designed to blend the building's profile in with the rest of Des Moines's skyline. This was never achieved due to the relatively low levels of sulfur pollution in the atmosphere, which led to the copper pyramid oxidizing to a deep brown color. [15]
The bottom three floors of the 801 Grand are designated for retail stores and restaurants, with the upper levels designated for office space. [7] The third floor connects to a skywalk system and the top two floors serve as a private restaurant. [8] [4] The build was named one of the 50 most significant Iowa Buildings of the 20th Century by the Iowan chapter of the American Institute of Architects. [7]
In 1993, the 801 Chophouse was established on the second floor of the 801 Grand. In 2022, the Des Moines Register listed the 801 Chophouse among the 12 best steakhouses in Des Moines. This restaurant serves as the chain's flagship and features a gallery of cattle-themed artwork. [16] [17] [18] The steakhouse has been used as a de facto clubhouse during the Iowa caucuses, and it is commonly visited by politicians and news personnel. [19]
In 2010, the First Church of Christ, Scientist relocated from their Des Moines building to the 801 Grand. [20] In 2020, insurance company F&G moved their headquarters to the 801 Grand Building. This move involved a $9.4 million renovation of 83,000 square feet (7,700 m2) of office space. [21]
Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, Rivière des Moines, meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 81st in terms of population in the United States, with 709,466 residents according to the 2020 census by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state.
Principal Financial Group, Inc. is an American global financial investment management and insurance company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
The First National Bank Tower is a 45-story office skyscraper located at 1601 Dodge Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and the official headquarters of First National Bank of Omaha. At 634 ft (193 m) it is the tallest building in Omaha and the state. It has been since its completion, overtaking the 30-story Woodmen Tower located nearby. Construction began in April 1999 and lasted until 2002, with the building's completion being the subject of ACEC and Emporis awards.
The Ruan Center is a high-rise office building located at 666 Grand Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa, which was built by Ruan Transportation. The building was completed in 1975 and stands at a height of 459 ft (140 m), and was the tallest building in Iowa until the completion of 801 Grand in 1991. The south side of the building's site was formerly occupied by The Chamberlain Hotel.
The Equitable Building is a high-rise located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is named after the insurance company Equitable of Iowa, which originally owned the building, and is located along Locust Street in the downtown area of the city. The 19-story Equitable Building, at 604 Locust St. in Des Moines, was completed in 1924, and standing at 318 ft (97m), for 49 years was the tallest building in Iowa. It remained the tallest building in Iowa until the completion of Financial Center in 1973. The Equitable Building is now the eighth tallest building in Iowa.
Financial Center is a high-rise building located in the downtown area of Des Moines, Iowa. It was completed in 1973 and stands at a height of 345 ft (105 m). It was the tallest building in the city and state until the completion of the Ruan Center in 1975, and is currently the fourth tallest. It was built in the international style, an architectural style that was particularly popular at the time of the building's construction.
Wells Fargo Place is an office tower in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It stands at 471 feet (144 m) tall, and is currently the tallest building in St. Paul. It was designed by Winsor/Faricy Architects, Inc. and WZMH Architects, and is 37 stories tall. The building opened in September 1987, a month ahead of schedule and under budget. It is a concrete and steel structure, with a facade of brown-colored granite and glass. The granite came from Finland. The building contains 156 underground parking spaces. It was formerly known as The Minnesota World Trade Center. Anthrosphere, a large sculpture by Paul Granlund, is in the lobby.
Downtown Des Moines is the central business district of Des Moines, Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Metropolitan Area. Downtown Des Moines is defined by the City of Des Moines as located between the Des Moines River to the east, the Raccoon River to the south, Center Street to the north, and 18th and 15th Streets to the west.
The Hippee Building, also known as the Southern Surety Building, the Savings and Loan Building, and the Midland Building, is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It was completed in 1913 by George B. Hippee whose father, George M. Hippee, was one of the first merchants in Des Moines. George B. developed the first interurban railway in the city and it connected Des Moines to other communities in central Iowa. The 172-foot (52 m), 12-story structure was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Sawyer and Watrous in the Early Commercial style. At the time of it completion, the building was Iowa's tallest skyscraper. It was used as an office building until the Aparium Hotel Group of Chicago acquired it in 2017 and began converting the building into a 138-room hotel. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The Fifth is a skyscraper under construction in Des Moines, Iowa. Developed by Mandelbaum Properties, upon completion in 2022, it will be the second tallest building in Iowa. The building will consist of a movie theater, hotel, parking garage, retail, and residential space. Construction started in late 2018 and was expected to finish at the end of 2022. The project will likely be cancelled unless taken up by a new developer.