Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the American Republic Insurance Building fills a half block of land on in the main western central business district. Occupied by American Enterprise Group (AEG), the building is eight stories tall and was originally designed and constructed in 1965 by the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) under architect Gordon Bunshaft, FAIA. The building was completed in 1965 and received an AIA Honor Award for Architecture in 1967. Five decades later, following its revitalization, the building won another AIA Honor Award for Architecture, in addition to an American Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies Metropolitan Arts Press.

As the building aged, the owner had consciously respected its defining characteristics. However, over the next 50 years, a number of its finishes and materials deteriorated, and its systems were extremely problematic. BNIM completed an extensive complex renovation of the concrete structure while maintaining the building’s original integrity.

The concepts that distinguished the building were preserved and augmented with energy efficient systems. Replacing these systems required substantial demolition of walls and finishes, including the exquisitely detailed executive suites. Following the major demolition of the building to accommodate these new systems, the walls and finishes were meticulously and elegantly reconstructed.

In addition to upgrading building systems and lighting to support human health and productivity, BNIM was also charged with providing a functional workplace that integrated current technology. A majority of the original furnishings were selected or custom designed by Bunshaft and SOM. A number of these pieces, including custom desks, were restored and continue to be used in harmony with new, open office workstations that preserve the unobstructed interior views and provide a modern workplace. In keeping with the minimal design, the design team incorporated custom sliding glass door office enclosures in the position of the original offices.

From inception, AEG’s art collection was integral to the architecture and distributed throughout public and private areas. The original building fused workplace with this significant art collection — creating a museum within an office. After the renovation, the artwork remains as a critical part of the experience.

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