The 701 Center is an office tower constructed by the architect Helmut Jahn, in the 1980s. It had deteriorated to a Class C building, and had one of the highest vacancy rates in downtown Minneapolis. Creative and budget-conscious solutions were necessary to meet the challenge of the broker, CBRE. The circulation of the skyway had to be improved and a new conference center was to be added, all while leaving the powerful orange and gray stone lobby and skyway floor alone. The solution was to reconfigure the skyway on the higher traffic end and add new glass storefronts. An elegant conference center was created in the center of the building with walls of glass that bring light deep into the core of the building. The skyway level is now filling with new tenants. The 701 Center has been transformed into an elegant business center the tenants can be proud to call home.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was the project manager/designer of the 701 Center project while at SmithGroup.