IDS Center
Encyclopedia
The IDS Center is the tallest building in the state of Minnesota
at 792 feet (241.4 m). Opened in 1974 as the IDS Centre, it stood 775 feet 6 inches (236.4 m), though a 16-foot (4.9 m) garage for window washing equipment was added at a later date. In 1992, the 776-foot (236.5 m) tall First Bank Place, now known as the Capella Tower, was completed nearby. However, it was advertised at the time as 774 feet (235.9 m) tall, one foot (0.3 m) shorter than the IDS "out of respect". A dispute eventually erupted in 2004–2005 and the rooftop garage is now included in the building's height, restoring it to first-place status in the city. Overall, the structure rises to 910 feet (277.4 m) when including communications spires on the roof, indisputably the highest points in the city. The IDS was constructed as the headquarters of Investors Diversified Services, Inc.—now Ameriprise Financial
. It also housed the headquarters for the Target stores division of Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
) from 1972 until Target moved to its own headquarters building in 2002.
The 57-story IDS became the tallest skyscraper in Minneapolis when it surpassed the height of the 30-story Foshay Tower
in 1972 while under construction, ending that building's 43-year reign over the city skyline. Construction of the building was followed with great interest, and the topping-off ceremony was a major civic event in the city. Today, many high-rise buildings in Minneapolis echo design features of the IDS Center, particularly its sleek, modernistic glass facing.
and shopping
area at the bottom of the tower is known as the Crystal Court, and provides skyway
connections between the tower and the rest of downtown Minneapolis. On the Concourse level is Globe College and University. The building had an observation deck
until it closed in 1983 and now rented by the law firm of Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, P.A. A restaurant (Orion's Room) has been closed to the public since the beginning of 1994. Thousands of people came for one last visit on December 31, 1993. A public restaurant named Windows on Minnesota operated for several more years on the 50th floor. Windows on Minnesota now exists as a banquet space and is owned and operated by the Marquette Hotel, which is part of the IDS complex.
Because of the IDS Center's peculiar and unique stepback design, termed "zogs" by its architect, Philip Johnson
, each floor has a maximum of 32 corner offices. The area of Nicollet Mall
just in front of the IDS Center is familiar to many television
viewers: the character of Mary Richards on Mary Tyler Moore
tossed her hat into the air on the site in the opening sequence used for several seasons. A statue of her was erected across the street from the building three decades later. She is also seen in the opening credits at Basil's Restaurant on the third floor in the Marquette Hotel, where diners can sit on the terrace at the table where the shot was filmed.
Mechanical floor
s are present both 121 feet (36.9 m) above street level and at the very top of the building; these can be easily distinguished from the inhabited floors by their darker facing. There are also three floors beneath the IDS named P1, P2, and P3, these floors are storage floors. There is also a parking ramp beneath the IDS.
The Wells Fargo Center
(formerly the Norwest Tower) is very close to the IDS Center; from certain angles, the reflection of the WFC can be seen in the glass facing of the IDS Center. The same is also true of the Foshay Tower.
The building has not been without structural problems. Since soon after its construction, the Crystal Court has had issues with water leaking through the roof after rain or snow due to effects of Minnesota's extreme freeze-thaw cycle. There are also frequent problems in the winter where ice falls from the tower and onto the court roof, often breaking through. Occasionally the court will be roped off to prevent injury to patrons.
s behind the design stated that it rose 774 feet (235.9 m) tall upon its completion in 1992. However, the height had been increased due to an engineering need, according to Tom O'Mara, the building's construction manager. There were some ventilation
duct
s near the roof that required about 14 more inches (36 cm) of height. O'Mara added an extra 10 inches (25.4 cm) to that, bringing the building to a total of 776 feet 0 inches (236.5 m).
In the years following completion, the actual height eventually became known as it was published in almanac
s and other listings of building height. The owners of the Capella Tower were hesitant to claim that their building was taller than IDS, and usually deferred the honor to the more well-known structure. As area journalists reported on the sale of the IDS Center to the John Buck Company in 2004 and the death of designer Philip Johnson
in 2005, they came face-to-face with the fact that the roof of the tower was one foot lower than its neighbor.
Emporis.com restored the IDS Center to first-place status in the city in February 2005 by including the height of the window-washing garage, although that has not completely ended the dispute. A spokesperson for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
, which sometimes handles height disputes, stated that it would be unlikely for the garage to be included in the official height because many would not consider it to be an integral part of the building's design.
It is unclear if the height of the Capella Tower reaches to the top of the "halo" surrounding the screen walls (walls designed to hide cooling towers on the roof), so the height of the flat roof might be somewhat shorter, or that building might similarly be able to add to its height by including the additional structure. Presently, the IDS is considered to be 15 feet (4.6 m) taller than the former First Bank Tower.
It is also important to note that height measurements are sometimes incorrectly reported due to conversion from U.S. customary units to the metric system
and back again. The IDS was often reported as 774 feet (235.9 m) in height because of this problem, occasionally appearing to be two feet shorter than its competitor.
equipment. As a result, the 9th floor is really the 11th floor and the 51st floor is really 53rd. This can be elucidated from the outside of the building or by walking down the stairwell from the 9th floor or higher. There is also a floor 2A which is unaccessable except from the freight elevators. There are also three floors beneath the IDS called P1, P2, and P3. These are storage levels for tenants and also are connected to the parking ramp below the IDS. Neither 2A, or P's 1, 2, and 3 are counted as actual floors.
225 million. Just over a year later in January 2006, the company began looking for new buyers. In August 2006 it was sold to The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., for approximately $277 million.The tower is also leased to smaller businesses.
The IDS has 1.4 million square feet (120,000 m²) of office and retail space.
were to fail. In 2009 the equipment was removed and digital towers were added for the national digital switch. Some television
broadcasters using the tower include Univision
affiliate WUMN-LP and K43HB
, which broadcasts HSN
programming, while the area's major television stations use it for their STL
towers and microwave relays to Shoreview and their individual studios and live trucks. The roof of the IDS Center is also home to the W0IDS UHF
Amateur radio repeater
, one of the widest coverage repeaters in the Midwest.
In 2001, a 30-year-old man jumped to his death from the 51st floor, crashed through the Crystal Court, and landed by the fountain near Basil's. In 1996, a 32-year-old man knocked out a window in the 30th floor of the IDS Center and jumped to his death.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
at 792 feet (241.4 m). Opened in 1974 as the IDS Centre, it stood 775 feet 6 inches (236.4 m), though a 16-foot (4.9 m) garage for window washing equipment was added at a later date. In 1992, the 776-foot (236.5 m) tall First Bank Place, now known as the Capella Tower, was completed nearby. However, it was advertised at the time as 774 feet (235.9 m) tall, one foot (0.3 m) shorter than the IDS "out of respect". A dispute eventually erupted in 2004–2005 and the rooftop garage is now included in the building's height, restoring it to first-place status in the city. Overall, the structure rises to 910 feet (277.4 m) when including communications spires on the roof, indisputably the highest points in the city. The IDS was constructed as the headquarters of Investors Diversified Services, Inc.—now Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. is one of the leading diversified financial services companies in the U.S. Ameriprise Financial engages in business through its...
. It also housed the headquarters for the Target stores division of Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
) from 1972 until Target moved to its own headquarters building in 2002.
The 57-story IDS became the tallest skyscraper in Minneapolis when it surpassed the height of the 30-story Foshay Tower
Foshay Tower
The Foshay Tower, now the W Minneapolis – The Foshay hotel, is a skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Modeled after the Washington Monument, the building was completed in 1929, months before the stock market crash in October of that year. It has 32 floors and stands high, plus an antenna mast...
in 1972 while under construction, ending that building's 43-year reign over the city skyline. Construction of the building was followed with great interest, and the topping-off ceremony was a major civic event in the city. Today, many high-rise buildings in Minneapolis echo design features of the IDS Center, particularly its sleek, modernistic glass facing.
Design and environment
A lobbyLobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
and shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
area at the bottom of the tower is known as the Crystal Court, and provides skyway
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
connections between the tower and the rest of downtown Minneapolis. On the Concourse level is Globe College and University. The building had an observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
until it closed in 1983 and now rented by the law firm of Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, P.A. A restaurant (Orion's Room) has been closed to the public since the beginning of 1994. Thousands of people came for one last visit on December 31, 1993. A public restaurant named Windows on Minnesota operated for several more years on the 50th floor. Windows on Minnesota now exists as a banquet space and is owned and operated by the Marquette Hotel, which is part of the IDS complex.
Because of the IDS Center's peculiar and unique stepback design, termed "zogs" by its architect, 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...
, each floor has a maximum of 32 corner offices. The area of Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall is a portion of Nicollet Avenue running through downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Working as a pedestrian and transit mall, it is also an upscale shopping and dining district...
just in front of the IDS Center is familiar to many television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
viewers: the character of Mary Richards on Mary Tyler Moore
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
tossed her hat into the air on the site in the opening sequence used for several seasons. A statue of her was erected across the street from the building three decades later. She is also seen in the opening credits at Basil's Restaurant on the third floor in the Marquette Hotel, where diners can sit on the terrace at the table where the shot was filmed.
Mechanical floor
Mechanical floor
A mechanical floor, mechanical penthouse, or mechanical level is a storey of a high-rise building that is dedicated to mechanical and electronics equipment. "Mechanical" is the most commonly used term, but words such as utility, technical, service, and plant are also used...
s are present both 121 feet (36.9 m) above street level and at the very top of the building; these can be easily distinguished from the inhabited floors by their darker facing. There are also three floors beneath the IDS named P1, P2, and P3, these floors are storage floors. There is also a parking ramp beneath the IDS.
The Wells Fargo Center
Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis)
The Wells Fargo Center, formerly known as Norwest Center, is the third-tallest building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after the IDS Center and the Capella Tower. Completed in 1988, it is 774 feet tall. For many years, this was believed to be one foot shorter than Capella, but that structure...
(formerly the Norwest Tower) is very close to the IDS Center; from certain angles, the reflection of the WFC can be seen in the glass facing of the IDS Center. The same is also true of the Foshay Tower.
The building has not been without structural problems. Since soon after its construction, the Crystal Court has had issues with water leaking through the roof after rain or snow due to effects of Minnesota's extreme freeze-thaw cycle. There are also frequent problems in the winter where ice falls from the tower and onto the court roof, often breaking through. Occasionally the court will be roped off to prevent injury to patrons.
The battle for tallest status
The owners of the Capella Tower (formerly First Bank Place) and the architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s behind the design stated that it rose 774 feet (235.9 m) tall upon its completion in 1992. However, the height had been increased due to an engineering need, according to Tom O'Mara, the building's construction manager. There were some ventilation
Ventilation (architecture)
Ventilating is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality...
duct
Duct (HVAC)
Ducts are used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to deliver and remove air. These needed airflows include, for example, supply air, return air, and exhaust air. Ducts also deliver, most commonly as part of the supply air, ventilation air...
s near the roof that required about 14 more inches (36 cm) of height. O'Mara added an extra 10 inches (25.4 cm) to that, bringing the building to a total of 776 feet 0 inches (236.5 m).
In the years following completion, the actual height eventually became known as it was published in almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
s and other listings of building height. The owners of the Capella Tower were hesitant to claim that their building was taller than IDS, and usually deferred the honor to the more well-known structure. As area journalists reported on the sale of the IDS Center to the John Buck Company in 2004 and the death of designer 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...
in 2005, they came face-to-face with the fact that the roof of the tower was one foot lower than its neighbor.
Emporis.com restored the IDS Center to first-place status in the city in February 2005 by including the height of the window-washing garage, although that has not completely ended the dispute. A spokesperson for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design...
, which sometimes handles height disputes, stated that it would be unlikely for the garage to be included in the official height because many would not consider it to be an integral part of the building's design.
It is unclear if the height of the Capella Tower reaches to the top of the "halo" surrounding the screen walls (walls designed to hide cooling towers on the roof), so the height of the flat roof might be somewhat shorter, or that building might similarly be able to add to its height by including the additional structure. Presently, the IDS is considered to be 15 feet (4.6 m) taller than the former First Bank Tower.
It is also important to note that height measurements are sometimes incorrectly reported due to conversion from U.S. customary units to the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
and back again. The IDS was often reported as 774 feet (235.9 m) in height because of this problem, occasionally appearing to be two feet shorter than its competitor.
Mechanical Floors
The building has two mechanical floors between the 8th and 9th floor and two mechanical floors between 51 and the roof level. They are known as 8A, 8B and 51A, 51B. They are not accessible from any of the building's passenger elevators and contain HVACHVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
equipment. As a result, the 9th floor is really the 11th floor and the 51st floor is really 53rd. This can be elucidated from the outside of the building or by walking down the stairwell from the 9th floor or higher. There is also a floor 2A which is unaccessable except from the freight elevators. There are also three floors beneath the IDS called P1, P2, and P3. These are storage levels for tenants and also are connected to the parking ramp below the IDS. Neither 2A, or P's 1, 2, and 3 are counted as actual floors.
Ownership
The building was purchased by the John Buck Company in December 2004 for US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
225 million. Just over a year later in January 2006, the company began looking for new buyers. In August 2006 it was sold to The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., for approximately $277 million.The tower is also leased to smaller businesses.
The IDS has 1.4 million square feet (120,000 m²) of office and retail space.
Broadcasting
Communication spires on top of the building tower to 910 feet (277.3 m), the highest point in Minneapolis. A number of major FM radio stations who formerly broadcast from the site now use the IDS as a backup in case their primary location in Shoreview, MinnesotaShoreview, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,377 people, Males: 12,303 , Females: 13,074 , 9,965 households, and 7,021 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,315.9 people per square mile . There are 10,127 housing units at an average density of 919.2 per square mile...
were to fail. In 2009 the equipment was removed and digital towers were added for the national digital switch. Some television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
broadcasters using the tower include Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
affiliate WUMN-LP and K43HB
K43HB
K43HB is a low-power translator television station in Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 43 as an owned and operated Ventana Television station. The station currently has a construction permit to convert to digital, remaining on channel 43 as a digital station,...
, which broadcasts HSN
Home Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
programming, while the area's major television stations use it for their STL
Studio/transmitter link
A studio-transmitter link sends a radio station's or television station's audio and video from the broadcast studio to a radio transmitter or television transmitter in another location....
towers and microwave relays to Shoreview and their individual studios and live trucks. The roof of the IDS Center is also home to the W0IDS UHF
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
Amateur radio repeater
Amateur radio repeater
An amateur radio repeater is an electronic device that receives a weak or low-level amateur radio signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power, so that the signal can cover longer distances without degradation...
, one of the widest coverage repeaters in the Midwest.
In popular culture
- Mary Tyler Moore's character was shown dining in Basil's restaurant overlooking the Crystal Court in the introduction to the Mary Tyler Moore Show.
- A spoof of the Mary Tyler Moore's show scenes appear on Husker Du music video covering the Mary Tyler Moore theme song featuring the IDS Crystal Court.
- The building was briefly mentioned by Steve BuscemiSteve BuscemiSteven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
in FargoFargo (film)Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy-crime film produced, directed and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides, William H...
- "IDS Building, the big glass one, tallest skyscraper in the Midwest after the SearsSears TowerSears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more...
- uh, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
...John Hancock buildingJohn Hancock CenterJohn Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
whatever..." - The building appeared in Remy ZeroRemy ZeroRemy Zero were a Birmingham, Alabama-based alternative rock band made up of Cinjun Tate , Shelby Tate , Cedric LeMoyne , Jeffrey Cain and Gregory Slay prior to his death in January 2010.-History:Before Remy Zero had released any full length albums, Radiohead found their demo tape and invited...
's music video, "Save Me." - The Hold Steady's song "Party Pit" (Off their album Boys and Girls in AmericaBoys and Girls in AmericaBoys and Girls in America is the third studio album by The Hold Steady, released on October 3, 2006 by Vagrant Records.On August 18, 2006, first single "Chips Ahoy!" was released as a free download from music site Pitchfork Media...
) contains the lyrics, "I saw her walking through the Crystal Court. /She made a scene by the revolving doors." - David Treuer's novel The Hiawatha describes the role of American-Indian labor in building the tower.
- In the movie "Purple RainPurple Rain (film)Purple Rain is a 1984 film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince makes his film debut in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents, hence, the film contains several extended concert sequences. The film grossed more than US$80 million at...
", PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
is seen looking in the window of a Music Store on the Skyway Level of the Cystal Court.
Deadly falls
There have been three deaths as a result of falls from the IDS Tower, one by accident and two by suicide. In 2007, Fidel Danilo Sanchez-Flores, a worker removing snow from the IDS Center's Crystal Court roof, slipped and fell three stories through the glass canopied atrium to his death.In 2001, a 30-year-old man jumped to his death from the 51st floor, crashed through the Crystal Court, and landed by the fountain near Basil's. In 1996, a 32-year-old man knocked out a window in the 30th floor of the IDS Center and jumped to his death.