Southfield Town Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southfield Town Center
Southfield Town Center
General information
Type	office/hotel/retail
Architectural style	Modern architecture
Location	Southfield-Detroit United States
Coordinates	42°28′35.8″N 83°14′43″W / 42.476611°N 83.24528°W / 42.476611; -83.24528
Construction started	1975
Completed	1989
Owner	601 Companies
Technical details
Floor count	32 story tower 28 story tower 28 story tower 20 story tower 12 story hotel
Floor area	2.2 million ft² office complex (204,400 m²) (total excludes 33 story residential tower)
Design and construction
Architect	Neuhaus & Taylor 3D International (3D/I) Sikes Jennings Kelly & Brewer

The Southfield Town Center is a group of five tall buildings connected to each other. It's a big office complex located in Southfield, Michigan, which is a suburb of Detroit. The complex covers about 2,200,000-square-foot (204,400 m²) of space.

Inside the Town Center, you'll find the Westin Southfield Detroit Hotel, many restaurants, a fitness center, and a large conference center. This conference center can hold up to 1,000 people! The Town Center is easy to reach, located near the M-10 freeway and right across from Lawrence Technological University. There's also a separate 33-story luxury apartment building called 5000 Town Center nearby.

An enclosed, two-story garden area, called an atrium, connects the hotel with the office towers. This atrium also has about 94,000 square feet (8,700 m²) of shops.

History of the Town Center

When planners first thought about building the Town Center, they had to be careful to avoid special wetland areas. The original plan for the I-696 freeway would have gone through this spot. But city planners saw how important a large office complex like the Town Center would be for the city's taxes. So, they built a new city hall nearby.

Highway planners then changed the freeway's path to go along 11 Mile Road instead. This change took some time, but it cleared the way for the Town Center to be built. The first part, then called the Prudential Town Center, was finished in 1975. This included the first skyscraper, 3000 Town Center. More towers were added over the years, from 1979 to 1989.

Where is the Town Center?

The Southfield Town Center is located across the street from the Civic Centre. The Civic Centre has the Southfield City Hall, government offices, a courthouse, the Southfield Public Library, a golf course, a city park, and even an indoor ice rink and swimming pool. Lawrence Technological University is also very close, just across the M-10 freeway.

Many other tall office buildings are in the area around the Town Center. It's easy to get to from different freeways, making it a central spot in the Detroit area. The complex is near I-696, M-39, I-275, I-75, M-1, and US Highway 24. You can also find homes and apartments within walking distance.

Building Style

The Southfield Town Center is a group of connected skyscrapers. They have a shiny golden glass outside and unique shapes. The buildings show a mix of Modern and Postmodern styles. They also have elements of High-Tech architecture, which means they use a lot of modern materials and designs.

Inside the complex, you'll find nice restaurants and gift shops. The Westin hotel connects to a large, enclosed garden atrium. This atrium is a great space for events. The separate 5000 Town Center apartment building looks like two grand pianos from above! This means its apartments have interesting room shapes and great views of the surrounding area. There's also plenty of parking in garages connected to the buildings.

Details About the Towers

Name	Image	Height feet / m	Floors	Year Built	Size sq feet / m²	Fun Facts
3000 Town Center		402 / 122	32	1975	533,982 / 49,609	This is the second tallest building in Michigan outside of Detroit. It was the first part of the Town Center to be built. It has strong criss-cross beams on its golden glass and steel outside.
1000 Town Center		395 / 120	28	1989	598,232 / 55,578	This tower has a modern style with golden glass. It is an office center for Fifth Third Bank.
2000 Town Center		370 / 113	28	1986	556,723 / 51,721	The 2000 Town Center has the Skyline Club, a fancy business club and restaurant, on its top floor. This golden glass tower has a unique shape with a cut-off corner at the top. The Consulate of Macedonia in Detroit is located here.
5000 Town Center		328 / 100	33	1983	NA	This is a tall apartment building with a wavy, figure-eight shape. When it was built, it had 216 apartments, but now it has 204.
4000 Town Center		270 / 82	20	1979	386,293 / 35,888	This is the shortest of the Town Center office buildings. It also uses a lot of golden glass on its outside. You can find a shop and a cafeteria on its first floor.
1500 Town Center			12	1987	NA	This is the Westin Southfield Detroit Hotel. It connects to the office complex and has 385 rooms. It can host conferences for up to 1,000 people. It opened in 1987 as the Radisson Plaza Hotel.
Atrium garden			2	1979	94,000 / 8,733	This two-story area connects the buildings and has shops. The Westin's Tango restaurant is at one end of this large hallway.
Southfield Town Center		402 / 122			2,200,000 / 204,400	This is the total size of the office and hotel complex, not including the 5000 residential tower. It's a major place for conferences.

See also

In Spanish: Southfield Town Center para niños