Hines was chosen in 1985 by the Norwest Corporation to rebuild its banking headquarters after the old building burned in one of the worst office fires in U.S. history. The impact that Wells Fargo Center, formerly Norwest Center, has had on the community began with its inception, where it has been characterized as a phoenix rising from the ashes.
The elegant 57-story Wells Fargo Center, designed by Cesar Pelli, contains a full-block indoor pedestrian promenade that houses a 100-foot-high domed ceiling rotunda on one side and a formal lobby on the other. Upon its completion in 1987, the structure became a powerful new landmark property and redefined the skyline, creating a dramatic and glowing invitation to downtown Minneapolis.
Wells Fargo Center won the Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence for Large-Scale Office Development in 1989, BOMA Local Building of the Year in 1993, BOMA Regional Office Building of the Year Award in 1994, Energy Star in 1999 through 2013, Certified LEED Gold EB in 2010 and BOMA 360 Performance Building in 2012.