Renaissance Center
Information
Location	Detroit, Michigan  United States
Status	Complete
Constructed	1977 1981 (towers 500 & 600) 2004 (renovated)
Use	office/hotel/retail
Height
Antenna/Spire	230.1 m (758 ft)
Roof	221.5 m (727 ft)
Top floor	212.3 m (697 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	73 story tower with four 39 story towers and two 21 story towers
Floor area	511,000 m² (5.5 million ft² complex)
Companies
Architect	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. Image File history File linksMetadata GM_headquarters_in_Detroit. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area  - City  143. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... Drawing of a self-service store. ... John C. Portman, Jr. ... The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John Merrill. ... Smith Hinchman & Grylls was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1853, and was reputedly the first architectural firm in the United States. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nickname: Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (Latin for, We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) Location in Wayne County, Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Founded 1701 Incorporation 1806 Government  - Type Strong Mayor-Council  - Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) Area  - City  143. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Detroit International Riverfront at night The Detroit International Riverfront is an area so designated by the nonprofit city sponsored managing entity named the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Marriott International, Inc. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

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 revolutionized city architecture, 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'. John C. Portman, Jr. ... Thalea funerary stela, decorated with three rosette designs. ... For other uses, see Hotel (disambiguation). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2003, General Motors completed a $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center for its world headquarters which it had purchased in 1996. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Gensler, the Smith Group, and Ghafari Associates were among the architects for the renovation. The majority of the construction operations were led by Turner Construction Company. The renovation included the addition of a five-story Wintergarden which provides access to the Detroit International Riverfront. ^[1] 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. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John Merrill. ... Smith Hinchman & Grylls was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1853, and was reputedly the first architectural firm in the United States. ... View of the Detroit skyline from Hart Plaza Monolith at Hart Plaza. ...

History

View from the River Walk.

View from Brush Street.

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. 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. ^[2] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1544x1024, 238 KB) self made by user I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1544x1024, 238 KB) self made by user I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Detroit RiverWalk will be a 5½-mile (8. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 915 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 915 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Henry Ford II Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 — September 29, 1987), commonly known as Hank the Deuce, was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford. ... Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the worlds third largest automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. ... White flight is a term for the demographic trend where working- and middle-class white people move away from increasingly racially mixed inner-city neighborhoods to predominantly white suburbs and exurbs. ... (Redirected from 1967 Detroit 12th Street Riot) The 12th Street Riot in Detroit, Michigan occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 23, 1967, after vice squad officers executed a raid at an illegal after-hours drinking establishment (known as a blind pig) on the corner of 12th Street... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Roman Stanley Gribbs (born December 29, 1925) was the Mayor of Detroit from 1970 to 1974. ... Ambassador Bridge from the Canadian side of the Detroit River The Ambassador Bridge is a privately owned suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. ... Motto: The river and the land sustain us. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

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. 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. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... An architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... John C. Portman, Jr. ... The Westin Peachtree Plaza is an impressive skyscraper 220 meters (722 feet) tall, and contains 73 stories of hotel rooms. ... Peachtree Center is a 13 block area located in the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia. ... Hotlanta redirects here. ... The Embarcaderos Ferry Building The Embarcadero is the name given the eastern waterfront of San Francisco, California, along San Francisco Bay. ... Nickname: Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Founded 1776 Government  - Mayor Gavin Newsom Area  - City  47 sq mi (122 km²)  - Land  46. ... Bonaventure Hotel (May 2005) The Westin Bonaventure Hotel is the largest hotel in Los Angeles and one of its most photographed structures. ... d Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... The Westin Peachtree Plaza is an impressive skyscraper 220 meters (722 feet) tall, and contains 73 stories of hotel rooms. ... Swissôtel The Stamford is the tallest hotel in Singapore at 226 metres with 73 floors, and is the sixth tallest hotel in the world. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ...

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. is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Coleman Alexander Young (May 24, 1918 – November 29, 1997) served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1994. ... The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) was founded in 1914. ... The word cylinder has several meanings. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... Westin Hotels chain is owned by Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide. ... This article describes the unit of angle. ...

View of interior levels.

In 1980, Detroit hosted the Republican National Convention which nominated Ronald Reagan who had stayed at the Renaissance Center while in Detroit. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1901 × 2551 pixel, file size: 713 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1901 × 2551 pixel, file size: 713 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ...

The Ren Cen from Hart Plaza

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. In 1982, the city measured the population of the central business district as 37 percent lower than in 1970. By 1983, the RenCen was in default in its mortgage payments for the second time, and the four insurance agencies that bankrolled the construction, along with Ford Motor Credit, assumed 53 percent ownership. Ford Land retained about 30 percent and the original limited partners 17 percent. In 1984, the Chicago-based Rubloff Company assumed management after buying out Ford Land's interest. Over the succeeding years, there would be a number of owners. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2848 × 2132 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2848 × 2132 pixel, file size: 1. ... View of the Detroit skyline from Hart Plaza Monolith at Hart Plaza. ... Riverfront Tower I is a luxury high rise residential skyscraper on 100 Riverfront Drive in downtown Detroit, Michigan with 295 units on the Detroit River. ... Riverfront Tower II is a luxury high rise residential skyscraper on 200 Riverfront Drive in downtown Detroit, Michigan with 280 units on the Detroit River. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Riverfront Tower III is a luxury high rise residential skyscraper on 300 Riverfront Drive in downtown Detroit, Michigan with 275 units on the Detroit River. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Rubloff Real Estate is one of Chicagos largest and oldest real estate companies. ...

Metro Detroit expanded upon the 'city within a city' concept with the nearby 2.2 million sq.ft. (204,000 m²) Southfield Town Center office complex with its five inter-connected golden skyscrapers. In the ensuing years, the ultra modern Renaissance Center would face competition from the growing suburban office market. The Southfield Town Center Complex (Also known as the Prudential Town Center) is a cluster of five golden skyscrapers forming an ultra-modern office complex which includes a Westin Hotel, resturaunts, a fitness center, and a conference center for up to 1000 attendees. ...

In 1987 the elevated-rail mass transit Detroit People Mover, after many years of construction, began operation with a stop at the Renaissance Center. The forbidding concrete berms located in front of the building carried most of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment for the complex. The Detroit People Mover is a 2. ... A berm is a level space or shelf separating two features. ...

View of Marriott Hotel restaurant pods.

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^[3] area, northwest of downtown. In 1996, GM initially paid $73 million to owner Highgate Hotels in Texas. By 2003, GM had completed an extensive $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center. This included a $100 million makeover for the hotel. Among GM's first actions was to remove the berms facing Jefferson Avenue. The renovation includes a lighted glass walkway called the "green ring" for its green lights; it circles the mezzanine to make the complex easy to navigate, while a new Wintergarden provides a view of the riverfront and Canada. An added 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. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1901 × 2551 pixel, file size: 769 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 447 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1901 × 2551 pixel, file size: 769 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Cadillac Place is an enormous office building in the New Center section of Detroit, Michigan. ... The New Center is a commercial district of Detroit, Michigan located approximately three miles (4. ... In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, or skywalk, is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed (or covered) bridge between two buildings. ... The Millender Center Apartments are Detroits tallest high-rise apartments, standing at 33 floors. ... The Courtyard by Marriott is a high-rise Hotel in downtown Detroit, Michigan. ... The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, looking southeast from West Larned Street, Detroit, Michigan The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is a large tower in Downtown Detroit, near Hart Plaza, One Detroit Center and the Renaissance Center. ...

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. Marriott International, Inc. ... Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder now part of General Motors. ...

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 ^[4]

Location

The Renaissance towers

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 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 are several blocks to the west. Comerica Park and Ford Field 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. Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 654 KB)The Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. ... Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 654 KB)The Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. ... Michigan State Highway 1 or M-1 is a north-south state highway in Michigan. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Comerica Tower Comerica Tower, formerly known as One Detroit Center, is a skyscraper in downtown Detroit, Michigan. ... Asheville City Hall. ... Coleman Alexander Young (1918-1997) served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 1974 to 1994. ... View of the Detroit skyline from Hart Plaza Monolith at Hart Plaza. ... Cobo Hall, officially Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center, is a convention center situated in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It is named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. ... NAIAS 2005, near the Audi exhibit. ... Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed Hockeytown, The Joe, and JLA, is the home of the National Hockey League franchise the Detroit Red Wings. ... Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. ... Ford Field is an indoor football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan that is the home of the Detroit Lions of the NFL. It is across the street from Comerica Park. ... The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel connects Detroit, Michigan in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario in Canada. ... The Detroit People Mover is a 2. ... This article focuses on the cultural movement labeled modernism or the modern movement. See also: Modernism (Roman Catholicism) or Modernist Christianity; Modernismo for specific art movement(s) in Spain and Catalonia. ... Section of the dome of Florence Cathedral. ... A skyline is best described as the overall or partial view of a silhouette of a citys tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. ... Nickname: Motto: The river and the land sustain us. ...

Statistics

View up from Wintergarden.

Tower 200 Marriott Hotel entrance.

Entirely owned by General Motors, the complex has 5.5 million square feet of space. The centerpiece is the 1,298-room hotel, 73-story 727 foot (221 m). Famous for its cyclindrical design, the central hotel tower's diameter is approximately 188 feet (57 m). The hotel features a major conference center with 100,000 square feet of meeting space for up to 2,200 guests, including a ballroom with 11,500 square feet, one of the largest in the United States. 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 2.3 million square feet of office space. Each 39 story tower has a base podium structure with 165,000 square feet for retail space (660,000 ft² total). A major portion of the central atrium area now houses a "GM World", a show case for GM vehicles. In 1981, two 21 story towers (500-600) were added each of which reach 339 feet (103 m). GM gained control of Tower 500 and 600 in 2001. In addition, the Wintergarden atrium area, added in 2001, has 150,000 square feet devoted to retail with 40,000 square feet of contiguous main floor exhibit space which was used by the media during Super Bowl XL. Of the more than 8,000 people who work in the complex, about 6,000 are GM employees. In 2003, GM completed its $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center, though work continued in and around the complex until 2005. Estimates to construct the Renaissance Center today could exceed $5 billion. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1544x1024, 304 KB) Summary My photo taken during Superbowl week Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1544x1024, 304 KB) Summary My photo taken during Superbowl week Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2526 × 1882 pixel, file size: 664 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2526 × 1882 pixel, file size: 664 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The metre (American English:meter) is a measure of length. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... A set of lifts in the lower level of a London Underground station. ... Looking up inside the 32-story atrium of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt, part of the Jin Mao Building. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Date February 5, 2006 Stadium Ford Field City Detroit, Michigan MVP Hines Ward, wide receiver Favorite Steelers by 4 National anthem Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin and Dr. John, ASL performed by Angela LaGuardia Coin toss Tom Brady Referee Bill Leavy Halftime show The Rolling Stones Attendance 68,206 TV in... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ...

For other uses, see Foot (disambiguation). ... Look up M, m in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Electronic Data Systems (EDS) (NYSE: EDS, LSE: EDC) is a global business and technology services company that defined the outsourcing business when it was established in 1962 by Ross Perot. ... Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is one of the Big Four auditors. ... For other uses, see Foot (disambiguation). ... Look up M, m in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Tower 100

Interior ring walk.

• The tower contains a United States Post Office on its second floor.
• 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.
• This building is 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.

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... A USPS Truck at Night A U.S. Post Office sign The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the United States government organization responsible for providing postal service in the United States and is generally referred to as the post office. ...

Tower 200

• The Renaissance Conference Center is located on the second floor of this tower.
• 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 tower.
• This building is 503'-2.2" to the main roof parapet wall .

Henry Ford II Henry Ford II (September 4, 1917 — September 29, 1987), commonly known as Hank the Deuce, was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ...

Tower 300

• The Renaissance Conference Center is located on the second floor of this tower.
• 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.
• This building is 503'-2.2" to the main roof parapet wall

Tower 400

• The Consulate-General of Japan has an office at this tower.
• This building is 503'-2.2" to the main roof parapet wall

Tower 500

Detroit People Mover station above Jefferson with Tower 500 and Tower 600.

• 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 this building.

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixels Full resolution (2526 × 1882 pixel, file size: 708 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixels Full resolution (2526 × 1882 pixel, file size: 708 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the... The Detroit People Mover is a 2. ...

Tower 600

• The parapet wall rises 4'-3" above the main roof deck of this building.
• The Detroit Canadian consulate is located inside the building.

The rule of Napoleon Bonaparte after his coup detat in France had conducted the manners of French governmant under dictatorship and in a consulate. ...

Facts about the complex

• The 73 story hotel in the Renaissance Center complex is surrounded by four 39 story office towers linked to two more 21 story towers.
• The Renaissance Center has its own police department.
• The Renaissance Center contains 5,500,000 square feet (511,000 m²), and over 8,000 employees, making it one of the largest mixed-use complexes in the United States.
• In 1977, 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.
• In 1977, phase I of the Renaissance Center cost $337 million to construct, employing 7,000 workers.
• Tallest building in the state of Michigan since 1977.
• In 1977, it opened as the tallest hotel in the world.
• Since 1986, it has remained the tallest all-hotel building in the Western Hemisphere.
• In 1996, GM purchased the Renaissance Center for its World Headquarters.
• An extensive renovation of the complex was completed in 2003; however, 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 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.
• Floors 71 through 73 include the Coach Insignia, an upscale restaurant with a lounge area/observation floor.
• The 1298 room hotel at the Renaissance Center is the largest operated by Marriott, with 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The hotel has no floor labeled 7, 8, or 13.
• The tower has a cylinder shape with a smaller cylinder for elevators running up the side. The hotel is one meter taller than Portman's similar design for the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, its diameter is approximately 188 feet (57 m).
• The central tower is 738'-5" tall from lowest basement service level to the structural top of this building, which is the exterior elevator tower. And, it's 747'-0" from the basement driveway level.
• Has a spacious eight story atrium lobby with artificial ponds, rounded concrete balconies, and terraces.
• The renovation of the Renaissance Center included the reconfiguration of the shopping center and added a 103 feet (31.4 meter) tall Wintergarden atrium with open access to the Detroit International Riverfront.
• Since the Renaissance Center is built along a riverbank, it measures exactly 14 feet (4.3 meters) taller from its main riverside entrance along Atwater Street than the entrance on Jefferson Avenue. Its height is measured from the main riverside entrance.
• In December of 2001, the General Motors Wintergarden retail atrium was unvield. Designed by SmithGroup, a nationally renowned architect, it rises 103 feet (31.39m) tall at its highest point offering direct access to the Detroit River.
• A skyway bridging Jefferson Avenue connects the Renaissance Center to the Millender Center Apartments, just to the north.
• Built on the former site of The Henkel Flour Mills.
• This was the site where ESPN made makeshift studios for their NFL Countdown and NFL Live crews for Super Bowl XL.

A square foot is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 foot long. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... Mixed-use development refers to the practice of containing more than one type of use in a building or set of buildings. ... A square foot is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 foot long. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... The geographical western hemisphere of Earth, highlighted in yellow. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John Merrill. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Smith Hinchman & Grylls was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1853, and was reputedly the first architectural firm in the United States. ... Location in Michigan Coordinates: , Country United States State Michigan County Wayne County Government  - Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. ... Look up cylinder in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Westin Peachtree Plaza is a skyscraper building in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. ... Hotlanta redirects here. ... Concrete being poured, raked and vibrated into place in residential construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... A balcony comprising a balustrade supported at either end by plinths. ... Look up terrace in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Landsat satellite photo, showing Lake Saint Clair, as well as St. ... Jefferson Avenue is a scenic road along the eastern part of Metro Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan along Lake Erie, the Detroit River, and Lake Saint Clair. ... The Millender Center Apartments are Detroits tallest high-rise apartments, standing at 33 floors. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Sunday NFL Countdown is a pregame show of all the NFL action for that week. ... NFL Live is a name that has been used as the title of two National Football League-related shows. ... Date February 5, 2006 Stadium Ford Field City Detroit, Michigan MVP Hines Ward, wide receiver Favorite Steelers by 4 National anthem Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin and Dr. John, ASL performed by Angela LaGuardia Coin toss Tom Brady Referee Bill Leavy Halftime show The Rolling Stones Attendance 68,206 TV in...

Redevelopment

RenCen decorated for Super Bowl XL

The $500 million renovation of the Renaissance Center completed in 2003 has helped improve Detroit's economy. 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 8,000 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. 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 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 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (460x614, 83 KB) Summary The Renaissance Center towers in Detroit, taken on February 1, 2006. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (460x614, 83 KB) Summary The Renaissance Center towers in Detroit, taken on February 1, 2006. ... Cadillac Place is an enormous office building in the New Center section of Detroit, Michigan. ... Look up Berm in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Landsat satellite photo, showing Lake Saint Clair, as well as St. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor and director who has often produced his own films. ... Joan Allen in a scene from The Contender Joan Allen (b. ... The Upside of Anger is a 2005 drama/comedy/romance written and directed by Mike Binder. ... WRIF (101. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American film actor and writer. ... Minnie Driver (born Amelia Fiona J. Driver on 31 January 1971) is an Academy award nominated English actress and singer-songwriter, born in London to Ronnie Driver and his wife Gaynor. ... Date February 5, 2006 Stadium Ford Field City Detroit, Michigan MVP Hines Ward, wide receiver Favorite Steelers by 4 National anthem Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin and Dr. John, ASL performed by Angela LaGuardia Coin toss Tom Brady Referee Bill Leavy Halftime show The Rolling Stones Attendance 68,206 TV in... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Football League (NFL) is the largest and most prestigious professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... Date February 5, 2006 Stadium Ford Field City Detroit, Michigan MVP Hines Ward, wide receiver Favorite Steelers by 4 National anthem Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin and Dr. John, ASL performed by Angela LaGuardia Coin toss Tom Brady Referee Bill Leavy Halftime show The Rolling Stones Attendance 68,206 TV in... The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), originally named the Detroit Museum of Art, has one of the largest, most significant art collections in the United States. ...

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, Brooks Brothers, 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. December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... View of the Detroit skyline from Hart Plaza Monolith at Hart Plaza. ...

The view looking towards Windsor, Ontario from the Wintergarden, palm trees and retail shops line the three levels Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1544x1024, 264 KB) self made by user I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Nickname: Motto: The river and the land sustain us. ...

Wintergarden was turned into a makeshift studio for ESPN during their Super Bowl XL coverage. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1544x1024, 318 KB) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Date February 5, 2006 Stadium Ford Field City Detroit, Michigan MVP Hines Ward, wide receiver Favorite Steelers by 4 National anthem Aaron Neville, Aretha Franklin and Dr. John, ASL performed by Angela LaGuardia Coin toss Tom Brady Referee Bill Leavy Halftime show The Rolling Stones Attendance 68,206 TV in...

Donovan McNabb holds the ball in broadcast ESPN segment. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixel Image in higher resolution (1544 × 1024 pixel, file size: 351 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms... Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. ...

View from Detroit Riverfront. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 889 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the...

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

• John Portman
• Detroit International Riverfront
• Detroit People Mover
• Detroit Electronic Music Festival
• Detroit–Windsor Tunnel
• Robert Sharoff
• List of tallest buildings by U.S. state

John C. Portman, Jr. ... Detroit International Riverfront at night The Detroit International Riverfront is an area so designated by the nonprofit city sponsored managing entity named the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization. ... The Detroit People Mover is a 2. ... The Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) is an electronic dance music showcase held in Detroit each Memorial Day weekend from 2000 to 2006. ... The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel is a highway tunnel connecting Detroit, Michigan in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario in Canada. ... Robert Sharoff is an architectural writer for the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Magazine. ... The following information concerns the tallest fully-inhabitable buildings in each U.S. state. ...

Notes

Robert Sharoff is an architectural writer for the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Magazine. ...

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. 
• 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. 

John C. Portman, Jr. ... Robert Sharoff is an architectural writer for the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Chicago Magazine. ...

External links

• Official General Motors Renaissance Center Website
• Detroit International Riverfront
• Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
• Detroit Renaissance, the group that financed the construction.
• The Renaissance Center at Emporis.com
  • Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
  • Renaissance Center 100 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 200 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 300 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 400 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 500 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 600 Tower
• SkyscraperPage.com's Profiles on the Renaissance Center buildings:
  • Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
  • Renaissance Center 100 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 200 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 300 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 400 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 500 Tower
  • Renaissance Center 600 Tower
• Live.com Bird's Eye view of Renaissance Center
• Google Maps location of the Renaissance Center

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Coordinates: 42°19′44.38″N, 83°2′22.95″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...