Commerce Trust Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Commerce Trust Building |
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Location | 922 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°06′09″N 94°34′57″W / 39.1026°N 94.5824°W |
| Completed | 1907 |
| Owner | Tower Properties |
| Height | |
| Roof | 78.6 m (258 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 15 |
| Floor area | 24,154 m2 (259,990 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Jarvis Hunt |
| Main contractor | George A. Fuller Company |
The Commerce Trust Building is a historic skyscraper located in Kansas City, Missouri. It was built in 1907 for Commerce Bancshares, which was the largest bank in Kansas City at that time. This impressive 15-story building was one of the very first skyscrapers in the city. In fact, when it first opened, it was the tallest building in the entire state of Missouri!
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A Look at the Building's Design
The Commerce Trust Building stands out with its unique look. Its outside walls are made of beautiful red granite and bright white terra cotta tiles. Terra cotta is a type of baked clay, often used for decoration.
Who Designed and Built It?
The building was designed by a famous architect named Jarvis Hunt. He also designed other important buildings in Kansas City, like the Union Station train station and the main office for the Kansas City Star newspaper.
The company that built the Commerce Trust Building was the George A. Fuller Company. This company was well-known for building many large skyscrapers, including the famous Flatiron Building in New York City. They continue to build big buildings all over the world.
History of the Building
Before the Commerce Trust Building was built, the land was home to the Kansas City Journal newspaper. Later, Commerce Bank took over that spot.
An interesting fact is that Harry S. Truman, who later became a United States President, worked in the building that was there before the current Commerce Trust Building.
Growing with Commerce Bank
In 1965, Commerce Bank built a much larger building right next to the original one. This new building is called Commerce Tower. Even with the new tower, the bank has continued to use the historic Commerce Trust Building for many years.
Modern Updates and Renovations
In 2004, the Commerce Trust Building got a big update. The bank spent about $48 million to make the building even better. During this renovation, they added more space by filling in a "light court." This was an open area between the 4th and 15th floors that let in natural light. By filling it in, they created more usable space inside.
Another cool part of the renovation was making the lobby's fancy glass ceiling light up. This made it look like natural sunlight was shining through, even on cloudy days.
Images for kids
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Street level entrance, with landmark clock and porte-cochère entry on the far right.
