| Renaissance Tower | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Information | |
| Location | 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas (USA) |
| Coordinates | 32°46′53″N 96°48′07″W / 32.7812840°N 96.8020640°WCoordinates: 32°46′53″N 96°48′07″W / 32.7812840°N 96.8020640°W |
| Status | Completed |
| Opening | 1974[1] |
| Use | Office |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 886 ft (270 m)[1] |
| Roof | 710 ft (220 m)[1] |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 56[1] |
| Floor area | 1,730,987.5 sq ft (160,814.00 m2)[1] |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, HKS, Inc.[1] |
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Renaissance Tower, located at 1201 Elm Street in downtown Dallas, Texas is a 56-story modern-styled skyscraper. Standing at a structural height of 886 feet (270 m), it is the second tallest skyscraper in Dallas. It is also the fifth tallest building in Texas and the 24th tallest building in the United States. The building was designed by the architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, completed in 1974, and renovated by architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1986.
At the time of completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in Dallas at 710 feet (216 m). In 1985, it was surpassed by Fountain Place and Bank of America Plaza, which became Dallas' tallest building by far. It was also clear that Renaissance Tower would be overtaken by two other buildings under construction (Comerica Bank Tower and JPMorgan Chase Tower). Therefore, in order to regain some status, the building underwent a major renovation in 1986 which re-glazed the exterior of the building. In 1986, James T. Chiles was brought in by the owner, The Prudential Insurance Company of America to design the broadcast center and towers on top the building, one of which was 176 feet (54 m) tall. This brought the structural height of the building up to 886 ft (270 m), securing its place as the second-tallest building in Dallas. (However, if one were to exclude antennas and spires, the Renaissance Tower is currently the fifth-tallest building in Dallas.)In 2001
At the base of the building, there is a glass-pyramid structure that houses an underground food court. The food court connects to other nearby structures with tunnels.[citation needed] Renaissance Tower also currently houses the corporate headquarters of Blockbuster.[2]
Outside shots of the building were used in the hit eighties Dallas (TV series) as the building was the home of Ewing Oil[3].
Dan Goodwin, a high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate, scaled the outside of the Renaissance Tower on November 7, 1981, clad in a Spider-Man suit, and using only suction cups and his hands and feet to climb the outside of the building. Goodwin later stated he made the climb as a gift to a young Dallas boy stricken with cystic fibrosis whom he had met shortly after his May 25, 1981, ascent of Chicago's Sears Tower (now Willis Tower). Goodwin scaled the Renaissance Tower on his twenty-sixth birthday.[4]
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Renaissance Tower |
- List of tallest buildings in Dallas
- List of tallest buildings in Texas
- List of tallest buildings in the United States
References
- ^ a b c d e f Renaissance Tower, Dallas - SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved on 11 December 2008.
- ^ "Privacy Policy." Blockbuster Inc. Retrieved on September 16, 2009.
- ^ http://www.ultimatedallas.com/episodeguide/locations3.html
- ^ SkyscraperDefense.com
External links
- Renaissance Tower, Dallas | Emporis.com
- Renaissance Tower, Dallas - SkyscraperPage.com
- Renaissance Tower - Architecture in Downtown Dallas
| Preceded by Elm Place |
Tallest Building in Dallas 1974—1985 270m |
Succeeded by Bank of America Plaza |
| Preceded by Tower of the Americas |
Tallest Building in Texas 1974—1982 270m |
Succeeded by JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston) |
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