Lumen Technologies Building

Lumen Technologies Building is a 26-story Art Deco skyscraper featuring strong vertical lines and geometric patterns in limestone and granite. The facade combines classic materials with clean modernist forms that distinguish it clearly from surrounding structures.

Built in 1932 during the Great Depression, the structure reused steel frames from an earlier Northwestern Bell building on the same site. This reconstruction shows how companies improvised and reused existing resources during the economic downturn.

The entrance features electrical bolt designs and a stylized bird symbolizing technological progress in telecommunications. These ornaments show how people viewed telephone technology as a modern wonder during that era.

The building stands in downtown Minneapolis and is easily accessible on foot. The exterior facade can be viewed at any time, and its proximity to other downtown attractions makes a visit straightforward.

Below street level, three basement floors house the original power systems and cable storage vaults. These hidden technical spaces were essential for supporting the city's telephone network.

Location: Minneapolis

Inception: 1932

Architects: Edwin Hawley Hewitt

Official opening: 1932

Architectural style: Art Deco

Floors above the ground: 26

GPS coordinates: 44.97750,-93.26667

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:49