This building shouldn’t be as good as it is, and it’s better than it looks here. At first glance, it could be something from the late 70s - a glass slab, a plain box. How could anyone build something like this in the late 80s? (They almost didn’t, as you can see by another picture on this site.) Context is everything, though. This building stands on Nicollet, in line with the gorgeous golden Norwest Tower, two blocks from the big blue IDS Center. It’s both of these buildings, and neither. The setbacks mirror Norwest; the glass curtainwall and detailing is a nod to the IDS. Studded up and down the tower are grey accents that give it a character all its own. I’ve always liked this one.

It houses a financial firm - there’s a big surprise - but at least it has a retail base. For over a hundred years, this space was the home of the Syndicate Block, a retail mainstay for most of the century. It was also the home to the Minneapolis Opera, and in an odd turn of events I hope was intentional, the architects seem to have resurrected the Opera’s facade - even though that building has been gone for over 70 years. There’s history in these blank walls after all.
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