Renaissance Center
| Renaissance Center | |
|---|---|
Renaissance Center seen from Windsor in 2014 | |
Interactive map of the Renaissance Center area | |
| Alternative names | GMRENCEN |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel Commercial offices Retail |
| Architectural style | Modern Brutalist |
| Location | 400 E Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48243 United States |
| Coordinates | 42°19′44″N 83°02′23″W / 42.3289°N 83.0397°W |
| Construction started | 1973 |
| Completed | 1977 1981 (towers 500–600) |
| Renovated | 2004 |
| Owner | General Motors (hotel, towers 100–400) |
| Management | CBRE Group |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 750 ft (230 m) |
| Roof | 727 ft (222 m) |
| Top floor | 697 ft (212 m) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 188 ft (57 m) (central tower) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count |
|
| Floor area | 5,552,000 sq ft (515,800 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | John Portman & Associates |
| Structural engineer | Morris E. Harrison & Associates |
| Main contractor | Tishman Construction |
| Renovating team | |
| Architects | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Gensler SmithGroup Ghafari Associates |
| Main contractor | Turner Construction |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Renaissance Center DDOT 3, 9 SMART FAST Michigan, Woodward SMART 805, 851 |
| Website | |
| gmrencen | |
| References | |
| Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center area | |
| Hotel chain | Marriott International |
| General information | |
| Location | United States, 400 Renaissance Center Drive Detroit, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 42°19′44″N 83°02′23″W / 42.3289°N 83.0397°W |
| Opening | 1977 |
| Owner | General Motors |
| Management | Marriott Hotels & Resorts |
| Height | |
| Height | 727 ft (222 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 73 |
| Floor area | Meeting space: 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 1,246 |
| Number of suites | 52 |
| Parking | Valet and self |
| Website | |
| www.marriott.com/dtwdt | |
The Renaissance Center, commonly known as the RenCen, is a landmark mixed-use building complex in downtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Located on the Detroit International Riverfront, the complex consists of seven connected towers, including a 74-story Marriott hotel, the tallest building in Michigan, at its center. Four shorter office skyscrapers surround the hotel, with two shorter, auxiliary office towers to the east. The towers are connected by a large square podium containing extensive public spaces, a conference center, and retail stores.
Developed as an urban renewal project in the 1970s, the Renaissance Center was envisioned as a "city-within-a-city," and was meant to anchor a wider redevelopment of the then-declining city of Detroit. The project was developed and funded by a consortium led by the Ford Motor Company, and John Portman served as its principal architect. The five tallest towers were built in the Modern architectural style and completed in stages from 1976 to 1977, with the two shorter towers added later in 1981.
At the time of its completion, the Renaissance Center was the largest private development in the history of the United States, and the central tower was the world's tallest hotel. General Motors purchased the complex in 1996 for use as its global headquarters, formerly, and extensively renovated it in the early 2000s, modernizing its Brutalist interior and adding a glass retail atrium and public plaza on the riverfront.
The RenCen is a distinctive feature of Detroit's skyline, and is widely considered a landmark and cultural icon of the city. With 5,552,000 square feet (515,800 m2) of floor space, it is one of the largest commercial complexes in the world, though its occupancy has declined significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic. General Motors relocated its headquarters away from the Renaissance Center in early 2026, and it is planned to be partially demolished and subsequently redeveloped.