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801 Grand, also known as The Principal Building, is a skyscraper located in Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa

The State of Iowa is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, and Missouri to the south....
. 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. It is also the second tallest building between Minneapolis and Denver after the First National Bank Tower
First National Bank Tower

The First National Bank Tower is a 634 ft , 45-story skyscraper at 1601 Dodge Street in Downtown Omaha Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 2002, it is currently the tallest building in Nebraska, as well as the tallest building between Minneapolis and Denver....
 in Omaha at 633 ft.






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801 Grand, also known as The Principal Building, is a skyscraper located in Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa

The State of Iowa is a U.S. state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It is bordered by Minnesota to the north, Wisconsin and Illinois to the east, Nebraska and South Dakota to the west, and Missouri to the south....
. 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. It is also the second tallest building between Minneapolis and Denver after the First National Bank Tower
First National Bank Tower

The First National Bank Tower is a 634 ft , 45-story skyscraper at 1601 Dodge Street in Downtown Omaha Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 2002, it is currently the tallest building in Nebraska, as well as the tallest building between Minneapolis and Denver....
 in Omaha at 633 ft. The roof is made out of copper sheeting that was designed to form a green coating of verdigris
Verdigris

Verdigris is the common name for the green coating or patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time....
 over time, much like the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty , or, more formally, Liberty Enlightening the World , was presented to the United States by the people of France in 1886....
. However, unlike New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, 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. Recently, discussions started about removing the top layer of copper so that crews could purposely cause the oxidation process to create verdigris. However, it was decided that the current color is fine, and therefore left as is.

The building consists mainly of office space which is largely occupied by its owner, Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group is a publicly traded corporation based in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.The Principal Financial Group is a global financial services provider which offers a wide range of financial products and services, and is the U.S....
. The lower three floors contain retail and restaurant space, including the 801 Steak & Chop House, and provide a connection to Des Moines' skywalk system. The upper two floors (40 & 41) are home to the Embassy Club, a private members-only restaurant.

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.

See also

  • Des Moines, Iowa
  • List of tallest buildings in Des Moines
    List of tallest buildings in Des Moines

    This list of tallest buildings in Des Moines ranks skyscrapers and monuments in the U.S. city of Des Moines, Iowa by height....
  • List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
    List of tallest buildings by U.S. state

    The following is a list of the tallest buildings by U.S. state, including the Washington, D.C.....