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O.C. Tanner completes $24 million renovation

October 26, 2009
Salt Lake City retailer O.C. Tanner opened the doors of its newly renovated flagship store last month with a black-tie gala event attracting designers such as Angela Cummings, Penny Preville, Michael Beaudry and the Wellendorff family.
Salt Lake City--After a $24 million investment, Utah retailer O.C. Tanner has opened its new flagship in a Salt Lake City landmark.

An architectural gem that first opened its doors in 1905 as the Salt Lake City Public Library and was later reinvented as the Hansen Planetarium, the historic building was originally designed by New York architects Heins and LaFarge, designers of the first subway system of New York and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

After the Hansen Planetarium moved in 2004, the building sat vacant until 2007, when it was purchased by O.C. Tanner and renovated over the course of two years with the help of Salt Lake City-based MJSA Architects and general contractor Big-D Construction Corp. Together, the team worked to preserve the building's Beaux Arts architectural details and unique window designs, while also adding in a bevy of modern features.

Among the highlights of the three-floor, 20,000-square-foot store--which features couture jewelry and watches from the likes of David Yurman, Faberge and Patek Philippe on floors one and two, and accessories from designers such as Baccarat, Montblanc and Halycon Days on the third--is a three-story spiral staircase and a massive custom light sculpture that serves as the store's centerpiece.

The staircase was constructed of the building's trademark limestone and features a curved glass and stainless steel railing, which complements two existing historic wood stairways and cradles the light sculpture by London-based Sharon Marston. The sculpture contains more than 14,000 hand-folded Marston-signature "Flora" shapes in white polymer and steel interwoven with optical fibers. The design also includes more than 3,000 hand-blown glass leaves in gold and amber tones to emulate the store's collections.

Founder Obert C. Tanner, who passed away in 1993, began his business in 1927, selling class rings and pins out of the basement of his mother's home. In the 1940s, he switched the company's gears to designing and implementing employee recognition programs, and then in 1976, opened a retail jewelry store in downtown Salt Lake City.

"Dad was a life-long lover of beauty and creating 'the most beautiful jewelry store in the country' was one of his more audacious dreams," Carolyn Tanner Irish, daughter of Obert C. Tanner and chair of the board of directors, said in a media release.

The O.C. Tanner flagship is located at 15 South State St. in Salt Lake City. The retailer operates a second O.C. Tanner location in Park City, Utah.
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