The defacto icon of Detroit, the Renaissance Center, or Ren Cen for short. Often thought of as a single building, it is actually 5 high rises atop a single podium. 4 of the 5 are office towers with the 5th and tallest of them a 72-floor hotel with restaurant on top. It is the tallest skyscraper in Detroit and can be seen from up to 40 miles away on a clear day.
Originally built by the Ford Motor company, today it serves as the headquarters of General Motors and includes retail and convention space within the podium. With over 5 million square feet of space, it ranks as one of the largest buildings in the world. It is so large, in fact, it has it's own zip code: 48243
It was designed by John Portman who also designed the Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta. In 2003, the podium was renovated from its cold hard brutalist entrance into a more modern and open interaction with Jefferson Street to the north and the Riverfront to the south.
In 2011, GM installed LED lights on the rings of the towers and 3 screens in place of GM's logos. This allows the Ren Cen to have dynamic signage and often during sporting events or certain holidays, the logo and colors will change to suit the event. The default settings a majority of the time is the GM logo with blue bands.
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My own pictures.
My personal opinion is that it's a love it or hate or building. It truly is a city within a city complex, and if it was connected to a residential complex, I think it would be possible to be a self sustaining complex. Though that's also it's downside, like many developments of its size and age, it's removed from the city core and the area around it is not the most pedestrian friendly except for the riverfront. It could be better, but it could also be worse.