801 Grand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 801 Grand |
|
|---|---|
View of the north-east corner of 801 Grand. 711 High Street, the headquarters of Principal Financial Group, is in the foreground
|
|
| General information | |
| Location | 801 Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
| Construction started | 1989 |
| Completed | 1991 |
| Owner | Principal Financial Group |
| Height | |
| Roof | 630 ft (190 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 45 |
| Floor area | 922,467 sq ft (85,700.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | HOK |
801 Grand is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is managed by a company called JLL Americas. The building gets its name from its address, 801 Grand Avenue, which is in the downtown area of Des Moines. It stands between 8th and 9th Streets, with High Street on its northern side.
This impressive building was finished in 1991. It stands 630 feet (190 m) tall, making it the tallest building in the entire state of Iowa. It has 45 floors!
What's Inside 801 Grand?
Most of 801 Grand is used for offices. The main company that owns and uses a lot of the space is called Principal Financial Group.
The first three floors of the building have shops and restaurants. One well-known restaurant there is 801 Chophouse. These lower floors also connect to Des Moines' skywalk system. A skywalk is like a covered bridge high above the street that connects different buildings, so people can walk around downtown without going outside.
Other businesses also have offices in 801 Grand. These include a dental office called Hutchison Dental, and several law firms. A law firm is a business where lawyers work.
The Roof's Special Color
The roof of 801 Grand is covered with copper metal. When the building was designed, the architects hoped the copper would slowly turn green over time. This green color is called verdigris. A famous example of verdigris is the Statue of Liberty in New York City, which is also made of copper and has turned green.
However, something unexpected happened in Des Moines. The air there does not have much salt in it, unlike the air near the ocean in New York City. The salt in the air helps copper turn green. Because there wasn't enough salt in Des Moines' air, the copper on 801 Grand's roof did not turn green. Instead, it turned a dark brown color.
There were talks about trying to make the roof green again. This would have involved removing the top layer of copper and restarting the process. But in the end, the decision was made to leave the roof as it is, with its unique dark brown color.
Images for kids
-
View of the north-east corner of 801 Grand. 711 High Street, the headquarters of Principal Financial Group, is in the foreground
See also
In Spanish: 801 Grand para niños
