GM to launch large-scale renovation of Renaissance Center this summer

[paulj313]

GM's Renaissance Center renovations

Photo by General Motors Co., Neumann/Smith Architecture, EWI WorldwideGeneral Motors Co. says its planned updates to the exterior of the RenCen will act as a beacon to draw people to the building on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Detroit.









General Motors Co. plans this summer to launch a large-scale renovation of its Detroit headquarters, the Renaissance Center.
The 120,000-square-foot renovation will include an addition to extend the section of the complex housing the People Mover station to Jefferson Avenue, Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer and leader, global Chevrolet, and global marketing operations for GM, said during a media briefing Friday.

He declined to discuss the cost of the project or projected investment in it.
“... As we move into the future, it will be important for us to tell the story of our journey … the journey that our brands, our people and our industry have made and how we will continue to move forward,” Mahoney said in prepared remarks.

“One big opportunity for us to celebrate our achievements and showcase our innovations is right here in the Renaissance Center, our home and a centerpiece of the city of Detroit.”
Developed with GM’s design team, Neumann Smith Architecture and EWI Worldwide, the project is set to be completed before the end of 2018.
As envisioned, it will also include changes to key public places inside the RenCen:

• Interior updates to the central area will aim to create a more open and inviting gathering space.
• Curated spaces will feature rotating vehicles displays, mixing heritage models, concepts and current products.
• Interactive experiences will combine physical and digital elements, educating the public about GM’s brands and the design and engineering process.

Throughout the project, “our headquarters will become a true downtown destination that our employees will be proud of and that will attract even more visitors to our beautiful riverfront,” Mahoney said.
Announced by Henry Ford II in 1973, the Renaissance Center’s first tower opened in 1976, and by the following year, four towers around a central hotel tower were fully constructed and opened, according to the GMRenCen website.
The 73-story, central hotel tower today operates as the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center and is the tallest all-hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.
Last year, the Detroit Marriott completed a $30 million renovation of its own, updating its 1,329 guest rooms and meeting space.
Towers 500 and 600, developed through a separate venture by subsidiaries of Ford Motor Co. Land Development Corp., opened in 1981.
GM purchased the Renaissance Center as its global headquarters in 1996 and by 2004 had completed $500 million in renovations, according to its website.
Improvements included the installation of an interior glass circulation ring — a 12-foot walkway suspended from the ceiling to provide easier navigation of the retail and office towers — and conversion of areas that formerly housed a parking garage, swimming pool and fitness center into the five-story, 50,000-square-foot Wintergarden, which opened in 2001.
In December, 2004, GM presented the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy with the deed to the GM portion of the Detroit riverwalk known as GM Plaza.

Interesting to see what else can be done to make the RenCen more inviting, it's certainly not an easy piece of architecture to work with.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...oreUserAgent=1

[Lowell]

Great idea. I was at the food court a couple of weeks ago viewing the GM display across the way and thinking how it looked like a funeral crypt, so dark, gloomy and uninviting with all the gray concrete. The blueish lighting, either LED or mercury vapor, made it creepier still and the cars appear dull.

[313WX]

Definitely awesome news between this and the ongoing $1 billion dollars Tech Center renovations.

[mtburb]

Will they have to close down that part of the People Mover again?

[hybridy]

Will they have to close down that part of the People Mover again?

beyond that...is it really that smart to construct part of the structure around the people mover track...in addition to security concerns, what happens when the PM structure needs repair/demolition?

[softailrider]

Starting with the parking, that place has always been totally not user friendly. I'd rather go to the DDS then go to that place.

[Hypestyles]

they should get started right away with the renovations. Hire local Detroit residents to help out with the construction.