Sometime next month, the gas and convenience-store retailer Kum & Go will officially break ground on its new headquarters, to be located at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.
Construction fencing has already been installed around the perimeter of the site, and destruction of two small existing buildings on the southwest corner of the lot has begun, according to a Kum & Go spokesperson.
The five-story, $151 million headquarters, topped by a rooftop garden, will be the centerpiece of a four-acre redevelopment master plan in Des Moines’ Gateway West neighborhood.
Last year, the Krause family, which owns Kum & Go, chose the design proposed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop over five other contenders. That design gives the appearance of white floor plates floating atop white pillars, and creates canopies on all sides of the building.
In a statement, the Pritzker Prize-winning Piano spoke of the building’s “lightness, simplicity, and openness.” The building’s design is also intended to complement the sculptures in the nearby sculpture park. In fact, the entire plaza surrounding the building will be landscaped and serve as a natural extension of the park.
“Large cantilevers from the upper floors form the continuation of the urban edge along Grand Avenue and Gateway Park,” according to the city’s Urban Design Review Board. “The project relies on landscape to form the edges on the other three sides of the building. The fifth floor is rotated to acknowledge the site’s location at the splay of downtown’s urban grids, with the rotation allowing for a gracious roof terrace overlooking the Park and downtown.”
The building will total 159,000 sf, according to the city report. It will house a gallery for the owners’ art collection, and include a game room for employees, an outdoor meeting space, underground parking for 225 vehicles, and a fitness room.
The building is scheduled to open in early 2018 with 300 to 325 employees, but would have space for 800. It is projected to achieve LEED Silver certification. Des Moines-based OPN Architects is providing architectural counsel and construction drawings. Ryan Companies US is the local builder/contractor.
Kum & Go has more than 430 stores 4,700 employees in 11 states.
Related Stories
Sustainability | Jul 1, 2024
Amazon, JPMorgan Chase among companies collaborating with ILFI to advance carbon verification
Four companies (Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, JLL, and Prologis) are working with the International Living Future Institute to support development of new versions of Zero Carbon Certification.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2024
AEC inspections are the key to financially viable office to residential adaptive reuse projects
About a year ago our industry was abuzz with an idea that seemed like a one-shot miracle cure for both the shockingly high rate of office vacancies and the worsening housing shortage. The seemingly simple idea of converting empty office buildings to multifamily residential seemed like an easy and elegant solution. However, in the intervening months we’ve seen only a handful of these conversions, despite near universal enthusiasm for the concept.
Adaptive Reuse | Jun 13, 2024
4 ways to transform old buildings into modern assets
As cities grow, their office inventories remain largely stagnant. Yet despite changes to the market—including the impact of hybrid work—opportunities still exist. Enter: “Midlife Metamorphosis.”
Mass Timber | Jun 10, 2024
5 hidden benefits of mass timber design
Mass timber is a materials and design approach that holds immense potential to transform the future of the commercial building industry, as well as our environment.
Office Buildings | Jun 6, 2024
HOK presents neurodiversity research and design guidelines at SXSW 2024
Workplace experts share insights on designing inclusive spaces that cater to diverse sensory processing needs.
Office Buildings | Jun 3, 2024
Insights for working well in a hybrid world
GBBN Principal and Interior Designer Beth Latto, NCIDQ, LEED AP, ID+C, WELL AP, share a few takeaways, insights, and lessons learned from a recent Post Occupancy Evaluation of the firm's Cincinnati, Ohio, office.
MFPRO+ News | Jun 3, 2024
New York’s office to residential conversion program draws interest from 64 owners
New York City’s Office Conversion Accelerator Program has been contacted by the owners of 64 commercial buildings interested in converting their properties to residential use.
Products and Materials | May 31, 2024
Top building products for May 2024
BD+C Editors break down May's top 15 building products, from Durat and CaraGreen's Durat Plus to Zurn Siphonic Roof Drains.
Urban Planning | May 28, 2024
‘Flowing’ design emphasizes interaction at Bellevue, Wash., development
The three-tower 1,030,000-sf office and retail development designed by Graphite Design Group in collaboration with Compton Design Office for Vulcan Real Estate is attracting some of the world’s largest names in tech and hospitality.
Laboratories | May 24, 2024
The Department of Energy breaks ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center
In Princeton, N.J., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has broken ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC), a state-of-the-art office and laboratory building. Designed and constructed by SmithGroup, the $109.7 million facility will provide space for research supporting PPPL’s expanded mission into microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences.
