Comerica Tower
Encyclopedia
One Detroit Center, also known as Comerica Tower at Detroit Center after its tenant, is a skyscraper and class-A office building located downtown which overlooks the Detroit Financial District
. Rising 619 feet (189 m), the 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan
, and the second tallest overall in the state behind the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center
, located a few blocks away. Although the Penobscot Building
has more floors (45 above-ground floors compared to 43), One Detroit Center's floors are taller, with its roof sitting roughly 60 feet (18.3 m) taller than Penobscot's. Its floor area is 1674708 square feet (155,585.5 m²).
In December 2009, Comerica
announced it would vacate the Comerica Tower by 2012, consolidating its Michigan operations at 411 West Lafayette Boulevard after having moved its corporated headquarters to Dallas in 2007. The move will put the naming rights for One Detroit Center into play.
The building was designed by noted architects John Burgee
& Philip Johnson
, partners influential in postmodern architecture
. One Detroit Center was constructed from 1991 to 1993. It houses numerous other tenants, including many prominent Detroit law firms, and other banks. Some, however, have expressed concern over the building's lack of exterior lighting at night, in contrast to the easily identifiable orb of the nearby Penobscot Building
. In addition to retail
, the building also contains a restaurant
.
The building is famous for its postmodern architectural
design topped with Flemish
-inspired neo-gothic
spires
which blend architecturally with the city's historic skyline. It is constructed mainly of granite
. Sometimes called a "twin gothic structure", for its pairs of spires, it is oriented North-South and East-West (as named on a plaque along the Windsor
waterfront park). One Detroit Center won the Award of Excellence for its design in 1996. One Detroit Center replicas have become a souvenir item along with other Detroit skyscrapers.
Project plans for twin tower, Two Detroit Center proposed directly east of the tower were placed indefinitely on hold. Two Detroit Center parking garage was constructed on the site in 2002.
, the home of the Detroit Tigers
baseball team. The building is also occupied by Clark Hill law firm.
Detroit Financial District
The Detroit Financial District is a historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.It includes...
. Rising 619 feet (189 m), the 43-story tower is the tallest office building in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and the second tallest overall in the state behind the central hotel tower of the Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center
Renaissance Center is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the International Riverfront, the Renaissance Center complex is owned by General Motors as its world headquarters...
, located a few blocks away. Although the Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
has more floors (45 above-ground floors compared to 43), One Detroit Center's floors are taller, with its roof sitting roughly 60 feet (18.3 m) taller than Penobscot's. Its floor area is 1674708 square feet (155,585.5 m²).
In December 2009, Comerica
Comerica
Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA. It has retail banking operations in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas; and select business operations in several other U.S...
announced it would vacate the Comerica Tower by 2012, consolidating its Michigan operations at 411 West Lafayette Boulevard after having moved its corporated headquarters to Dallas in 2007. The move will put the naming rights for One Detroit Center into play.
Architecture
John Burgee
__notoc__John Burgee is an American architect noted for his contributions to Postmodern architecture. He was a partner of Philip Johnson from 1967 to 1991, creating together the partnership firm Johnson/Burgee Architects. Their landmark collaborations together included Pennzoil Place in Houston...
& Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson
Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an influential American architect.In 1930, he founded the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and later , as a trustee, he was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and the first Pritzker Architecture...
, partners influential in postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
. One Detroit Center was constructed from 1991 to 1993. It houses numerous other tenants, including many prominent Detroit law firms, and other banks. Some, however, have expressed concern over the building's lack of exterior lighting at night, in contrast to the easily identifiable orb of the nearby Penobscot Building
Penobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
. In addition to retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, the building also contains a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
.
The building is famous for its postmodern architectural
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
design topped with Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
-inspired neo-gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
spires
Spires
Spires may refer to:* SPIRES, a database for publications in High-Energy Physics* Speyer , a city in Germany* The Spires, a commercial conference centre, operated out of Church House, Belfast by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland...
which blend architecturally with the city's historic skyline. It is constructed mainly of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. Sometimes called a "twin gothic structure", for its pairs of spires, it is oriented North-South and East-West (as named on a plaque along the Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
waterfront park). One Detroit Center won the Award of Excellence for its design in 1996. One Detroit Center replicas have become a souvenir item along with other Detroit skyscrapers.
Project plans for twin tower, Two Detroit Center proposed directly east of the tower were placed indefinitely on hold. Two Detroit Center parking garage was constructed on the site in 2002.
Tenants
The building is occupied by Comerica Bank. In efforts to expand its U.S. presence, the bank has engaged in a succession of takeovers in Texas, Florida, Arizona, and California. In 2007, Comerica moved its headquarters to Dallas, Texas but maintains its major operations in Detroit. The bank's lease on Comerica Tower at Detroit Center runs through 2012. Comerica is a major sponsor of Comerica ParkComerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
, the home of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
baseball team. The building is also occupied by Clark Hill law firm.