John Deere World Headquarters

The John Deere World Headquarters is a complex of four buildings located on 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of land[1] at One John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois, United States.[2] The complex serves as corporate headquarters for agricultural heavy equipment company John Deere.

John Deere World Headquarters in Moline, Illinois (2011)
A Naval Sea Systems Command engineer tours the West Office Building (2009).

History

The complex opened on April 20, 1964. The buildings were designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, who died before its construction was complete, only four days after he signed the contract for the newest buildings. The project was finished by architect Kevin Roche. It was built according to Deere & Company President William Hewitt's instructions using COR-TEN weathering steel—one of the first architectural applications of the material—which gave the building an earthy look as it oxidized and aged.[1] In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, the John Deere World Headquarters was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places [3] by the American Institute of Architects Illinois component (AIA Illinois) and was recognized by USA Today Travel magazine, as one of AIA Illinois' selections for Illinois 25 Must See Places.[4]

Building and amenities

Within the building are offices for over 900 staff and an auditorium with 350 seats. The facility also houses the world's largest agricultural museum taking you through the history of farming and the company's creation in 1837. This museum is located between the display room and grounds.

The grounds are open seven days a week and are free to all to enter and see, between 9:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays, but check for weekend times also.[5]

As well as many historical items it is possible to see some of the more modern machines made by John Deere, one-off art displays by artists such as Alexander Girard, and read as much literature as you like.

Landscape

The design for the campus was created by Hideo Sasaki of Sasaki Associates landscape architecture firm. The design picked up an ASLA Classic Award in 1991 and is considered by many to be the archetypal corporate setting.

References
  1. "World Headquarters". www.deere.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  2. "Deere & Company World Headquarters LogoDeere & Company World Headquarters". www.visitquadcities.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  3. Waldinger, Mike (January 30, 2018). "The proud history of architecture in Illinois". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  4. "25 Must See Buildings in Illinois". USA Today. August 9, 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  5. "John Deere Pavilion in Moline, IL". factorytour.com. Retrieved 11 October 2012.


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