Rand Tower Hotel
| Rand Tower | |
|---|---|
Rand Tower Hotel from the west | |
Interactive map of the Rand Tower area | |
| Former names | Dain Tower (late 1960s–1992) |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 527 Marquette Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 44°58′38.5″N 93°16′11″W / 44.977361°N 93.26972°W |
| Named for | Rufus R. Rand Jr. |
| Completed | June 7, 1929 |
| Height | |
| Height | 311 ft (95 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Holabird & Root |
| Developer | Rufus R. Rand Jr. |
| Main contractor | C.F. Haglin & Sons |
| Designations | |
| Official name | Rand Tower |
| Designated | April 14, 1994 |
| Reference no. | 84003937 |
| Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the Rand Tower Hotel, Minneapolis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel area | |
| General information | |
| Location | 527 Marquette Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Opening | December 2, 2020 |
| Management | Marriott International |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 270 |
| Website | |
| Official site | |
The Rand Tower Hotel is an aviation-inspired Art Deco building located in downtown Minneapolis’s financial district. Completed in 1929, it briefly was the city’s tallest skyscraper until the Foshay Tower opened later that year. The building was the vision of Rufus Rand, Jr., which was symbolic of the city's prominence to serve as the headquarters for his company, Minneapolis Gas and Light Company (now Xcel Energy). Rand contracted with Chicago based Holabird & Root to design the building which was constructed by C.F. Haglin & Sons.
Rand, a World War I aviator with the Lafayette Flying Corps, embedded aviation motifs within the building’s design. The embodiment of Rand’s vision is depicted above the Marquette St. entrance, where two sculptures are carved into the limestone façade of Mercury with winged helmets and ankles, with each holding a biplane. As the Roman god of commerce, travelers, and communication, Mercury was chosen to symbolize progress and movement, welcoming visitors into a lobby with terrazzo floors embedded with star and moon crescent designs.
Elements such as the Wings sculpture in the lobby by Oskar J. W. Hansen further emphasize this theme. The two lion-cub mascots, Whiskey and Soda, associated with his Lafayette squadron, also were featured prominently.
In 1963, a permanent overhead walkway was built, followed by a 1969 extension to the NorthStar Center, linking the Rand Tower to the Minneapolis Skyway System.
Renamed Dain Tower in the late 1960s when investment company Dain Rauscher occupied it, the name reverted after they moved out in 1992. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 for its architectural design and significance.