John Deere World Headquarters
| John Deere World Headquarters | |
|---|---|
View of the main building from the northern pond | |
Interactive map of the John Deere World Headquarters area | |
| General information | |
| Location | One John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°28′36″N 90°25′35″W / 41.47667°N 90.42639°W |
| Years built |
|
| Construction started | 1961 |
| Opened | April 20, 1964 |
| Owner | Deere & Co. |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count |
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| Grounds | 1,200 acres (490 ha) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | |
| Architecture firm | Saarinen Associates and Roche-Dinkeloo |
The John Deere World Headquarters (or John Deere Administration Center) is the corporate headquarters for the agricultural equipment company John Deere (also known as Deere & Co.) in Moline, Illinois, United States. The complex consists of four structures, three of which are interconnected. Eero Saarinen designed the original two structures, namely the main and display buildings. Roche-Dinkeloo, a firm founded by Saarinen's former associates Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, designed the Deere West office building next to the main building, along with the Financial Services Building on another part of the site. The landscape, designed by Sasaki Associates, includes two lakes.
The main building, display building, and Deere West are clad with Cor-Ten weathering steel and glass. The seven-story main building is located in a ravine and is accessed by footbridges on its fourth floor, which lead east to the display building and west to Deere West. The main building and Deere West both function as office structures; the offices in Deere West are arranged around a garden atrium with glass roofs. The display building contains an auditorium with two levels, along with a display area with a sculpture mural by Alexander Girard. The John Deere Headquarters received a large amount of attention from architectural critics when it was completed. It has also received numerous awards, including the Twenty-five Year Award for architectural excellence.
Plans for the complex were devised by William Hewitt, Deere & Co.'s chief executive, who began looking for an architect in 1956. Hewitt hired Saarinen, whose plans were approved in 1958; Saarinen died just after construction started in 1962. The complex opened on April 20, 1964, and included provisions for connections to additional buildings in the south and west. Roche-Dinkeloo was hired in 1975 to design Deere West, which opened in 1978. The Financial Services Building was constructed on a separate portion of the site between 1979 and 1981, away from the three older buildings. Following the completion of the four buildings, Deere & Co. continued to regularly host events and exhibits. By the 21st century, the complex was no longer open to the public, though it remained Deere & Co.'s headquarters.