Renaissance Tower

Renaissance Tower, located at 1201 Elm Street in downtown Dallas, Texas is a 56-story modern-styled skyscraper. Standing at a structural height of 886 feet (270 m), it is the second tallest skyscraper in Dallas. It is also the fifth tallest building in Texas and the 23rd tallest building in the United States. The building was designed by the architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, completed in 1974, and renovated by architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill in 1986.At the time of completion in 1964, it was the tallest building in Dallas at 710 feet (216 m). In 1985, it was surpassed by Fountain Place and Bank of America Plaza, which became Dallas' tallest building by far. It was also clear that Renaissance Tower would be overtaken by two other buildings under construction (Comerica Bank Tower and JPMorgan Chase Tower). Therefore, in order to regain some status, the building underwent a major renovation in 1986 which re-glassed the exterior of the building and placed several decorative broadcast towers on top, one of which was 176 feet (54 m) tall. This brought the structural height of the building up to 886 ft (270 m), securing its place as the second tallest building in Dallas. (However, if one were to exclude antennas and spires, the Renaissance Tower is currently the fifth tallest building in Dallas.)At the base of the building, there is a glass-pyramid structure that houses an underground food court. The food court connects to other nearby structures with tunnels. Renaissance Tower also currently houses the corporate headquarters of Blockbuster.