801 Grand, also known as The Principal Building, is a skyscraper located in Des Moines, Iowa. It is named after its street address, being located along Grand Avenue in the downtown area of the city between 8th & 9th Street (with High Street the northern border). Completed in 1991 and standing at 630 ft (192 m), it is currently the tallest building in the state of Iowa. The roof is made out of copper sheeting that was designed to form a green coating of verdigris over time, much like the Statue of Liberty. However, unlike New York City, the air salt content in Des Moines was so low that the desired oxidation process failed. The result was the copper turned a dark brown. Discussions on possible removal of the top layer of copper that would allow crews to purposely cause the oxidation process to create verdigris resulted in the decision to leave the roof as is in its current state.
The building consists mainly of office space, which is largely occupied by its owner, Principal Financial Group. The lower three floors contain retail and restaurant space, including the 801 Steak & Chop House, and provide a connection to Des Moines' skywalk system. Other tenants include the intellectual property law firm of McKee, Voorhees, & Sease PLC (32nd floor), the law firm of Bradshaw, Fowler, Proctor & Fairgrave, P.C. (37th floor), and the law firm of Faegre Baker Daniels.
The building is also well-known for being the venue of the "801 Grand Power Climb", an annual fundraising event for the American Lung Association of Iowa where sponsored competitors race to the top of the building using the stairwell.
Famous quotes containing the word grand:
“If the Christ were content with humble toilers for disciples, that wasn’t good enough for our Bert. He wanted dukes’ half sisters and belted earls wiping his feet with their hair; grand apotheosis of the snob, to humiliate the objects of his own awe by making them venerate him.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)