Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center - History

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 Chrysler hoped replacing its outdated Highland Park, Michigan campus, which predated the formation of Chrysler Corporation itself, would improve product development efficiency, increase the ease of inter-departmental collaboration, and create a more satisfying workplace.

Chris Theodore, John Miller, and Dick Terrigian 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.”

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