Construction started 1968 Opening September 21, 1971 Height 111 m Floors 20 Architectural style Brutalist architecture | Completed 1971 Antenna spire 363 feet Opened 21 September 1971 Cost 21.7 million USD | |
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Type Library and Staff Offices Location 2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio, USA Owner Cleveland State University Similar Fenn Tower, Wolstein Center, Krenzler Field, Woodling Gym, Cleveland Public Library | ||
State to inspect rhodes tower after report shows problems on outside of building
The James A. Rhodes Tower (formerly University Tower) is a 21-story, 363-foot skyscraper in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is owned by Cleveland State University. It is the second-tallest educational-purposed building in the United States (behind the Cathedral of Learning.) It currently houses the university's main library on the first eight floors and administration offices for many of the university's academic departments on the upper level floors. It previously held classrooms on the first two floors. It is the tallest structure on the Cleveland State campus, followed by Fenn Tower and the tallest academic building in Ohio. The tower was named after former Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes who is responsible for signing the legislation that created The Cleveland State University on December 18, 1964.
Contents
- State to inspect rhodes tower after report shows problems on outside of building
- Map of Rhodes Tower Cleveland OH 44115 USA
- Rhodes tower getting new mural
- Construction
- Position on campus
- History
- References
Map of Rhodes Tower, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
Rhodes tower getting new mural
Construction
CSU Rhodes Tower was built between 1968-71. The Brutalist structure was designed by the Cleveland architectural firm of Rode, Guenther, and Bonebrake. This style was very prevalent in the 1960's and 1970's in Cleveland and can be seen in the housing projects made in Central and Hough, the Cuyahoga County Justice Center Complex the Cleveland Museum of Art, and AT Tower. It was built at a cost of $21,700,000 including the 2001 renovation. It is a steel structure, clad in white precast concrete panels. There are 2140 separate panels that make up the facing of the massive square tower. When the tower was built, there was controversy over floors shifting; the shifting was caused by bad bolt fasteners imported from Japan. These bolts had to be replaced with bolts made in the US.
Position on campus
On September 21, 1971 University Tower opened for university use. The University Tower was and remains CSU's main focal point and it opens the Downtown Cleveland skyline to the east. In addition, the tower sits as almost the exact geographic center of the campus and is used as a reference point when guiding students and visitors towards points of the campus grounds. The tower building actually sits high above the street level as the Cleveland State University Library is housed in the bottom of the building platforms first 8 floors.
History
In 1981, the tower was renamed after Governor James A. Rhodes. In 2001, a major renovation of the tower was commenced to fix the problems regarding lack of insulation from the weather and leaks caused by this that were never addressed when the tower was built. In 2002, CSU placed signs on the top of the tower In December 2011, CSU officials announced plans to mothball portions of the building due to the prohibitive cost of renovation, including asbestos abatement. However, if this is going to occur has not been decided. The top floors are still being used for college administration offices.