Principal Financial Group – Corporate One
711 High Street
(Bankers Life Insurance)
Designed in 1939
Architects: Tinsley, McBroom, and Higgins
Leland McBroom — project architect
Dr. Paul Sabine — acoustical engineer, Charles Leopold; Mechanical engineer, B.E. Landes, Electrical engineer
Neumann Brothers — General Contractors
1983 Skywalk: Brooks Borg and Skiles
Technologically advanced at the time of construction, it is one of the first buildings designed with a central air-conditioning system.
Includes an auditorium with 1,100 seating capacity including the balcony and a gymnasium.
There are three molded glass murals using Native American imagery (fire god, water god, and earth mother) which portray earth’s contributions to the welfare of humans, their debt to fire and dependence on water.
Small figures portray humanity’s use of the three main elements.
The artists are Lowell Houser and Glen Chamberlain.
The new skywalk connection covers an original bronze hood with light reflectors but none of the glass panels.
Some of the materials used are cream vein Bedford limestone above the 23 ft base of Rainbow granite. The windows and doors are bronze. (The glass block panels at each window are original to the design.)
The Lobby has travertine floor with a non-slip greenstone in the travel path. The original structural glass toilet partitions were recently removed.
The sixth and seventh floors have walnut and teak paneling. The president’s office was designed with East Indian Laurel veneer with a burl inlay.
There was a 16-page spread in June 1940 Architectural Record where it was designated “The Building of the Decade.”
The best quote regarding the project is by Charles Leopold. “The outstanding characteristic of this project was the architect, the owner, and the engineers all forgot their own particular function and pitched in to do the best possible job.”
- Corporate 1 – Bankers Life Building 1939
- Corporate 2 – The Tower 1986 Welton Becket Associates from LA
- Corporate 3 – Century Center 1979 BBS
- Corporate 4 – K Building 1992
- Corporate 5 – 575-7th St 1969 renovated 1990
- 801 Grand -1991 HOK
- Building Numbers are for 911 purposes