Cleveland Trust Tower

Cleveland,
Cuyahoga County

 
The Cleveland Trust Tower was constructed in 1971 to the design of noted architect Marcel Breuer.  Breuer, who was widely known for furniture design, was also the architect of the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City.  Built in what is most commonly referred to as the Brutalist style of architecture, the facade of the structure is composed primarily of black granite and concrete window forms which create a distinctive presence on the downtown skyline. The southern facade features a "cut out" on the tower's cornice.

The tower is adjacent to the historic Cleveland Trust Rotunda, a landmark designed by George B. Post. When the tower and Rotunda were no longer used, the buildings sat vacant for almost a decade. The buildings were purchased in September 2005 for $21,700,000 by the Cuyahoga County commissioners as the proposed location of the new county administrative center.  The current architect’s plans call for demolition of the Tower, on the grounds that the tower's floorplans are inadequate and also on the basic assertion that a newer structure would "look better."  Opponents of demolition suggest that the tower is an important landmark by a well-regarded architect, and that preservation would result in substantial savings of taxpayer funds.  One consultant has pegged that savings as approaching $20 million.

In reality, the structure of the Cleveland Trust Tower is good and is adaptable to a wide variety of uses, due to its open floor plan and relatively wide column spacing.  The building does contain asbestos, however that would have to be abated with both demolition and renovation.

It is quite likely that the death-knell for the Cleveland Trust Tower will be the lack of ornamentation commonly associated with so-called “historic” buildings.  As a 32-year old building, it also has yet to reach the magic age when anything old becomes venerated.  The Tower’s inclusion on the Most Endangered List is largely testament not only to the building, but to the lack of attention paid to our recent past.  Without careful attention today, the landmarks of tomorrow will be lost.

NOTE: The Cuyahoga County Commissioners voted to proceed with demolition on March 29.
See this story.

Links for More Information:

Let the tower fall - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Marcel Breuer biography on Wikipedia
Cleveland Trust Rotunda page on clevelandskyscapers.com

Planning Commission to discuss proposal to save downtown tower - Cleveland Plain Dealer
Panel last hope to save East Ninth Building - Cleveland Plain Dealer/Steven Litt, Architecture Critic
Commission approves tower demolition - Cleveland.com - Cleveland Planning Commission vote to allow demolition - June 29, 2007

Additional Photos (click for larger photo):

Tower with George Post Cleveland Trust Rotunda
Detail,
Cleveland Trust Tower

 
All photos are Preservation Ohio File Photos or used with permission