Renaissance Tower (Dallas)

A Dallas tower wrapped in white X patterns and topped by twin spires.

The tower is wrapped in white X patterns and topped by twin spires. When it opened it was the tallest building in Dallas, at 220 m (710 ft), and it was originally named the First International Building. It sits on Elm Street in the heart of the Dallas business district. It is also the fifth-tallest in Texas and the 47th-tallest in the United States.

Growing taller

The 220 m figure was the height at completion. Later an antenna spire was added on top, which brought the total to 270 m.

The Skidmore, Owings and Merrill firm renovated the tower in 1986. It was 710 ft, about 220 m, when it was completed, and a later antenna spire raised the official height to 886 ft, about 270 m, so it is known as the second-tallest building in Dallas.

Dallas skyline

Renaissance Tower is one of several tall towers that make up the Dallas skyline. The antenna added to it also pushed Fountain Place, another landmark, down to fifth place on the list of Dallas's tallest buildings.

Its white crisscross pattern helps it stand out among the glass towers around it. Fountain Place, finished in 1986, was the second-tallest in the city when it opened but slipped to fifth over time, and it now holds the Deputies' offices, while the main palace stays the seat of Congress.

On the globe

The model shows a Dallas tower wrapped in white X patterns, topped by twin spires.