U.S. Bank Center (Milwaukee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids U.S. Bank Center |
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View from the lakefront.
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| Former names | First Wisconsin Center (1973-92) Firstar Center (1992-2002) |
| General information | |
| Type | Skyscraper |
| Architectural style | International style |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States |
| Address | 777 East Wisconsin Avenue |
| Coordinates | 43°2′17.66″N 87°54′8.13″W / 43.0382389°N 87.9022583°W |
| Current tenants | U.S. Bank |
| Construction started | April 1971 |
| Completed | September 4, 1973 |
| Cost | $50 million |
| Owner | U.S. Bancorp |
| Height | 601 feet (183 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Trussed tube |
| Floor count | 42 |
| Floor area | 1,077,607 sq ft (100,113.0 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 20 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Bruce Graham James DeStefano |
| Architecture firm | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Structural engineer | Fazlur Rahman Khan |
| Other designers | Fitzhugh Scott |
| Main contractor | Morse Diesel International |
The U.S. Bank Center is a very tall building, known as a skyscraper, located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the tallest building in the entire state of Wisconsin. It's also the tallest building you'll find between the big cities of Chicago and Minneapolis.
This impressive building stands 601 feet (183 m) tall and has 42 floors. It has a huge amount of space inside, covering 1,077,607 sq ft (100,113.0 m2). When it was finished, it became taller than the Milwaukee City Hall, making it the tallest building in both the city and the state. The U.S. Bank Center was completed in 1973. From 1973 to 2001, it was the main office for a company that later became Firstar Corporation.
The building was designed by two architects, Bruce Graham and James DeStefano, from a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. A talented engineer named Fazlur Rahman Khan worked on its structure. As of 2017, the U.S. Bank Center is home to several important companies, including Foley & Lardner, Robert W. Baird & Company, Sensient Technologies Corporation, and the Milwaukee office for U.S. Bank, IBM, and CBRE.
Contents
Building History
Plans for this skyscraper were first announced on August 21, 1969, by the First Wisconsin National Bank. They wanted a new main office building. Even though the designs weren't ready yet, bank officials said it would be at least 40 stories tall.
On March 18, 1971, the bank showed off the final design. It was a 42-story building, 601-foot (183 m) tall, that would take up an entire city block. James DeStefano designed it, and it was named the First Wisconsin Center.
The building reached its full height on August 29, 1972, when the last 20-foot (6.1 m) steel beam was put on top. Important people like the mayor of Milwaukee, Henry Maier, and the governor of Wisconsin, Patrick Lucey, were there for the ceremony.
The building officially opened on October 6, 1973.
First Wisconsin Center Name
The building was known as the First Wisconsin Center for many years. In June 1987, a company called Trammell Crow bought the tower. They even thought about building an even taller 50-story tower nearby, but that plan never happened.
Firstar Center Name
In December 1988, First Wisconsin changed its name to Firstar Corporation. Because of this, the building was renamed the Firstar Center on September 14, 1992.
In 1996, a special covered walkway, called a skywalk, was built. It connected the Firstar Center to the nearby Lewis Center. This made it easier for people working in both buildings to move between them.
U.S. Bank Center Name
In October 2000, Firstar Corporation bought another company called U.S. Bancorp. The new combined company decided to use the name U.S. Bank. So, on May 3, 2002, the Firstar Center officially became the U.S. Bank Center.
In April 2008, a part of the building's parking garage fell and damaged a car. Because of this, the owners decided to tear down the old garage and build a new, safer one. The new garage, with 1,000 parking spaces, opened in June 2010.
The windows of the U.S. Bank Center are sometimes used to show special messages using lights. For example, in 2003, the letters "HD" were lit up for Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary. In 2005, "UWM" was displayed for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee basketball team. The lights at the very top of the building can also change colors for holidays or special events. They were lit green and yellow for the Green Bay Packers during their important football games in 2007 and 2010.
Building Design
The U.S. Bank Center is located on East Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. It's a 42-story office tower that is 601-foot (183 m) tall. The building was designed by Bruce Graham and James DeStefano. It covers an entire city block. The outside of the tower is made of a steel frame covered with white aluminum and glass.
The building has a special structural system designed by Graham and Fazlur Rahman Khan. It uses three diagonal "belt trusses" that are easy to see. These trusses are not just for looks; they are a very important part of the building's strength and design.
The outside of the U.S. Bank Center stayed the same for many years. In 1999, signs were added to the top of the building. These green signs were later replaced with white ones in 2002 to show the new U.S. Bank name. In 2013, these were updated again to blue, energy-saving LED signs.
Peregrine Falcons
In July 1987, a special box was put outside the 41st floor of the building. This box was a "hacking box" for peregrine falcons. It was part of a plan by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to bring these birds back to Wisconsin. Peregrine falcons had disappeared from the state because of a chemical called DDT used after World War II.
The top of the U.S. Bank Center was a perfect spot for the falcons. It kept them safe from diseases and their natural enemies. One year after the project started, two baby falcons hatched there! These were the first falcons born in the wild in Wisconsin since the 1960s. Since 1987, 67 falcons have successfully grown up and flown from the top of the tower.
Observation Deck
The U.S. Bank Center was built with an observation deck on the 41st floor. For a while, people could visit it to see amazing views of Milwaukee. It was even used for a New Year's Eve event called "Firstar Eve." However, it was closed to the public around 1991.
In 2011, the observation deck was opened again for a special event called "Doors Open Milwaukee." Since then, it has been open to the public during this event in later years, allowing people to enjoy the views once more.
Images for kids
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U.S. Bank Center at night (2005).
See also
In Spanish: U.S. Bank Center para niños
