Key Tower, Cleveland

Key Tower, formerly known as Society Center, is a prominent skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland. Designed by the renowned architect César Pelli, the building stands as the tallest structure in the state of Ohio, reaching an impressive height of 947 feet (289 meters) across 57 stories. The tower ranks as the 39th-tallest building in the United States and 165th-tallest in the world. Due to its substantial height, it is visible from up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.

The tower houses approximately 1.5 million square feet (139,355 square meters) of office space, serving as the headquarters for KeyCorp, a major regional financial services firm. In 2014, the law firm BakerHostetler moved its headquarters to the building, occupying several floors previously held by KeyCorp. The international law firm Squire Patton Boggs and Dan T. Moore Companies are also key tenants, making Key Tower a significant business hub in Cleveland.

Originally called Society Center, the building served as the Society Corporation’s headquarters. After merging with KeyCorp, it was renamed Key Tower. Pelli had initially designed it for the Norwest Center in Minneapolis, but it was relocated to Cleveland. In 2008, Wells Real Estate Funds bought Key Center (Key Tower, Marriott, Society for Savings Building, and Memorial Plaza Garage), and The Millennia Companies acquired it in 2017.

Throughout its history, the tower has also been a venue for contemporary art. James Rosenquist’s pop art painting F-111 adorned the lobby until it was sold to the Museum of Modern Art in 1996 and replaced with David Salle’s mural Songs for Sale in 1998. Key Tower’s iconic presence and contributions to the architectural and cultural landscape make it a landmark structure in the Midwest United States, outside of Chicago.