Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center

The Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center is the North American headquarters and main research and development facility for the automobile manufacturer Chrysler in the United States. It is located in the Metro Detroit city of Auburn Hills, Michigan. Completed in 1996, the complex has 5,300,000 square feet (490,000 m2) on 504 acres (2.04 km2) located near Interstate 75.[1]

Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center
General information
TypeOffice/R&D
Address1000 Chrysler Drive
Town or cityAuburn Hills, Metro Detroit, Michigan
CountryUnited States
Coordinates42°39′15.7″N 83°14′1″W
Completed1993 Technology Center
1996 Headquarters
OwnerChrysler
Height
Roof249 ft (76 m)
Technical details
Floor count15
Floor area5,300,000 sq ft (490,000 m2) complex
Design and construction
ArchitectCRSS Inc.
SmithGroup

Design

CRSS Architects[lower-alpha 1] designed the Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center in a cross-axial formation where its elongated atrium topped concourses converge with an octagonal radiant skylight at its center. The rounded-off exterior corners are meant to evoke a polished car body. It was reported on an NPR game-show that according to a Businessweek article, the Chrysler headquarters was designed so that it could be converted to a shopping mall.[2] It was later reported, based on mall industry analysis and speculation from local real estate investors, that the mall design story was a hoax.[3] Chrysler also has executive offices at the landmark Chrysler House in downtown Detroit.

The facility includes a full laboratory level with various wind tunnels, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) evaluation road, noise/vibration facility, electromagnetic compatibility center, environmental test center (able to create rain, snow, and extreme temperatures), pilot production plant, and wind tunnel with thermal testing capability. A 57,000 square feet (5,300 m2) training center was included from the start, with a teleconferencing center and fitness center. The basement hallways are large enough for two cars to pass each other, allowing some testing within the building; and the test cells have their own separate foundation, to avoid vibrating the rest of the complex.[4]

History

Construction began in 1986, and the facility was largely complete upon its dedication on October 15, 1991. It reached full occupancy in 1993. Planning for the facility began in 1984. Chrysler replaced its outdated Highland Park campus, which was located at 12000 Chrysler Service Drive. It was off the Chrysler Freeway (I-75) and Davison Freeway (Route 8), with Brush Street one block away, and predated the formation of Chrysler Corporation itself. The facility was used to improve product development efficiency, increase the ease of inter-departmental collaboration, and create a more satisfying workplace. It was approximately 1 mile southeast from the Highland Park Ford Plant.

Chris Theodore, John Miller, and Dick Torigian were charged with working on the design of the Technology Center and planning the move from the Highland Park facility; they used the design of the complex to reinforce the platform team approach which was then being introduced at the company. In 2012, Chris Theodore said they were instrumental in “putting one platform team over the other, aligning body engineering over body engineering, etc. Setting up a team-centered core where each platform team could have finance, purchasing, manufacturing, planning and engineering all working together as a team -and, of course, making all the laboratories useable.” [5]

SmithGroup designed the attached Chrysler World Headquarters (1996) tower crowned with the pentastar marque. The Headquarters tower was constructed between 1993 and 1996. The Walter P. Chrysler Museum, now closed, was also on the campus.

See also

Notes
  1. Caudill Rowlett Scott known as (CRS-Sirrine) and (CRSS) of Houston, Texas, was succeeded by the Jacobs Engineering Group of Pasadena, California.

References
  1. Priddle, Alisa (May 12, 2009). "Chrysler's tech center called a 'good asset'". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 28, 2009.
  2. "Chrysler HQ Designed To Convert Into Shopping Mall". Jalopnik.com. May 5, 2009. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  3. Hopkins, Carol (May 5, 2009). "Turning Chrysler headquarters into a mall may be 'urban legend'". The Oakland Press. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  4. "Chrysler Technical Center (CTC) and Auburn Hills Complex". allpar.com. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  5. "Chris Theodore: Fixing the Ultradrive and Building the Chrysler Tech Center". allpar.com. May 5, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2013.

Further reading
  • Fisher, Dale (2005). Southeast Michigan: Horizons of Growth. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 1-8911-4325-5.
  • Higgins, James V (October 14, 1991). "Investment in the Future: Chrysler expects payback in innovation and efficiency". The Detroit News.
  • Hyde, Charles K. (2003). Riding the Roller Coaster: History of the Chrysler Corporation. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3091-6.
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