Throwback Thursday is a social media tradition, used by some to embarrass siblings and friends but by others to reminisce on good times. For the GMRENCEN, we use Throwback Thursdays to share archived photos of the building from the early 70’s like a digital time capsule and reflect on a time when we weren’t part of Detroit’s skyline. Take a look back in time with us.
The GMRENCEN project was announced in 1971 and if you’re under 40, you probably don’t know what Detroit looked like before this building was here. Take a look at these throwbacks that show what downtown was like before the GMRENCEN.
The original plans for the GMRENCEN included more buildings than the ones we know today. Take a look these original renderings.
The name was chosen in a contest to name the building and out of 141,537 entries, the name Renaissance Center was chosen.
A final design was decided and construction began on the building in 1973. The building really started taking shape between 1974 and 1975.
In 1976, Tower 100 opened and in 1977 the center tower opened and now holds the Detroit Marriott, which is the tallest hotel skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.
In 1977, there was a ribbon cutting and a huge party was thrown to celebrate this new Detroit landmark.
Towers 200, 300 and 400 opened by 1977 and Towers 500 and 600 opened in 1981.
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What’s your favorite throwback moment about the GMRENCEN? Let us know in the comment section.
