The BP America Building

The BP America Building (also known as the Sohio Building, the BP America Tower, 200 Public Square, or simply the BP Building) is the third tallest skyscraper in Cleveland, Ohio. The building, located on Public Square in Downtown Cleveland reaches 45 stories and 658 ft (198 m) and holds 1.2 million square feet of office space. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (679x1024, 441 KB) Summary Photo by Lisa Chamberlain http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (679x1024, 441 KB) Summary Photo by Lisa Chamberlain http://www. ... Taipei 101, considered the worlds tallest skyscraper. ... City nickname: The Forest City Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Government County Cuyahoga Mayor Jane L. Campbell; Frank G. Jackson (mayor-elect) Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 213. ... Downtown Cleveland, the industrial, cultural, and historic hub of Northeast Ohio, has experienced many changes over the years. ...

In November 1981, Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio) strengthened its commitment to Cleveland by announcing plans for a new skyscraper to be built on Public Square. Initially, it was supposed to surpass the Terminal Tower in height, but city officials rejected this idea, insisting that the Terminal Tower should remain the city's tallest building. The BP Building was designed by HOK, and the postmodern structure is angled in order be parallel to both Euclid and Superior Avenues. Demolition began in 1982 with the implosion of two former Cleveland landmarks, the Burnham and Root Cuyahoga Building (1892) and the 16-story George B. Post Williamson Building (1900). The structure was completed in 1985 and was officially opened in 1987 as the BP America Tower when British Petroleum purchased the remaining 45% of Sohio and merged its North American holdings to form BP America, Inc., headquartered in the new building. Standard Oil of Ohio or Sohio was an American oil company that was acquired by British Petroleum, now part of BP. It was one of the successor companies to Standard Oil after the antitrust breakup in 1911. ... Tower City Center (also known Terminal Tower) is a landmark skyscraper located in Cleveland, Ohio. ... HOK is a major international architectural practice. ... Postmodernity or postmodern architecture is a period whose first examples are generally cited as being from the 1950s, which runs through the present. ... Nuclear Weapon Implosion Implosion is a reverse explosion that concentrates matter and energy. ... Daniel H. Burnham. ... John Wellborn Root (January 10, 1850 - January 15, 1891) was a significant U.S. architect who worked out of Chicago with Daniel Burnham. ... See also: 1891 in architecture, other events of 1892, 1893 in architecture and the architecture timeline. ... George Browne Post (1837 - 1913) was a U.S. architect. ... See also: 1899 in architecture, other events of 1900, 1901 in architecture and the architecture timeline. ... See also: 1984 in architecture, other events of 1985, 1986 in architecture and the architecture timeline. ... BP (formerly British Petroleum and briefly known as BP Amoco) LSE: BP, NYSE: BP is a petroleum company headquartered in London, and one of the top four oil companies in the world (along with Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, and Total). ...

Claes Oldenburg's Free Stamp sculpture was originally commissioned by Alton Whitehouse and other Sohio executives to stand in front of the tower, but BP officials did not appreciate it, and donated the sculpture to the City of Cleveland. After some modifications, the city installed it in Willard Park, adjacent to Cleveland City Hall. Soft Bathtub (Model)—Ghost Version by Claes Oldenburg 1966, acryllic and pencil on foam-filled canvas with wood, cord, and plaster. ...

Prior to the construction of the Key Tower, the BP Building was the second most prominent skyscraper in the city, often photographed next to the adjacent Terminal Tower as a twin emblem of Cleveland. It contains 36 elevators, 10 escalators, 3 fountains, 1 waterfall, 1,500 plants, and several works of art. Key Tower in Cleveland, OH Key Tower is the tallest building in Cleveland surpassing the Terminal Tower, as well as the tallest building in Ohio and the 15th tallest building in the United States. ...

When BP purchased Chicago-based Amoco in 1998, the company announced that it would be moving its headquarters from Cleveland to Chicago. It was purchased by the Chicago-based Equity Office Properties Trust in 1996, which in turn sold it to Harbor Group International in 2005. The building was subsequently renamed 200 Public Square, though most Clevelanders still recognize it as the BP Building. ... Amoco Oil Corporation was founded in 1889 by John Rockefeller and first incorporated as Standard Oil of Indiana, formed from the breakup of gasoline giant Standard Oil. ...

External links

• ClevelandSkyscrapers.com