America`s Most Beautiful Jewelry Store Opens

News Release
Contacts:
Mary Kay Lazarus
(801) 328-8899
[email protected]
Suzanne Davis
(801) 364-0088 x113
[email protected]
America’s Most Beautiful Jewelry Store Opens
O.C. Tanner’s Dream Realized in Downtown Salt Lake City;
Community Leaders Laud Remarkable Gift to City
A stunning restoration of the historic
1905 Salt Lake City Library building as
O.C. Tanner’s flagship jewelry store
opens Sept. 11, at 15 S. State Street in
Salt Lake City.
The O.C. Tanner flagship store – a
sensitive melding of the historic
structure and Beaux Arts design
elements with the conveniences of a
modern building – is both historic and
contemporary, grand and intimate. The
project preserves one of the area’s
most historic structures in the midst of a
quickly evolving downtown.
“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,” said Carolyn Tanner Irish, the daughter of Obert C.
Tanner and chair of the Board of Directors since Obert’s death in 1993.
“The renewal of this amazing building more than fulfills that dream, and it builds on the legacy of
its own history in the civic life of Salt Lake. Thanks to the work of family members and many
trusted associates over 82 years, the company is able to offer this remarkable gift to the city.”
“A magnificent contribution”
The result of two years of construction and an investment of $24 million, the opening of the new
O.C. Tanner store provides a productive and continued use for a historic structure that not long
ago faced an uncertain future. Built in 1905 as the city’s main library, it served that function for
60 years. The building then was used by the Hansen Planetarium, which left in early 2003 for a
new building in the west part of downtown. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
AMERICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY STORE OPENS
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since 1979, the three story Beaux Arts-style building then sat vacant and decaying for four years
until O.C. Tanner bought it from the city after submitting plans to restore its faded luster.
David A. Petersen, CEO of the O.C. Tanner Co., said, “This restoration continues a long
tradition of generosity and excellence by all the people of the Company—the shareholders, the
Board of Directors and thousands of talented and dedicated employees. We are also grateful for
the loyalty of our store customers and the 8,000 corporate clients we serve, as well as for the
designers and artisans who have accomplished this great work.”
“The magnificent remaking of this important and historic building is truly a gift to the citizens of
Salt Lake City and the entire region,” says Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. “The O.C.
Tanner Company not only has preserved a beautiful icon from our city’s past, they have created
a one-of-a-kind destination store that enhances our Capital City.”
A mix of historic and contemporary
The idea behind the 20,000-square-foot building’s renovation was to preserve the landmark
limestone west façade, unique window designs and the two sweeping staircases, while building
what is essentially a brand-new structure incorporating contemporary design elements. The
most dramatic of the “modern” elements is a new east façade. While the roofline and third-floor
pediment are maintained, the former non-descript brick wall on the lower two floors has been
replaced with a wall of glass and stone, both laser-etched with a mural of images honoring the
buildings former and new uses.
On the mural’s lower reaches are images of early 20th century gentlemen surrounded by stacks
of books, an homage to the building’s years as the city’s main library. At the top are images,
recalling the former home of the Hansen Planetarium, of the spiral M101 galaxy photographed
from the Hubble Space Telescope. The center row features portraits of company founder Obert
C. Tanner. At 900 square feet, this is the largest laser-etched stone mural in the world and uses
a patented process invented by Decoro Art Stone of West Jordan, Utah.
Inside the building, Project Architect Kathryn Anderson of MJSA Architecture notes her design
retains much of the original wood with only a light refinishing. The windows, inside of the
exterior walls and high ceilings are all the original material and design of the 1905 building. The
interior’s signature design feature – a set of sweeping two-story staircases, together with a
central circular balcony overlooking State Street– has been restored to the original design.
Complementing the historic wood stairway is a new three-story spiral staircase, constructed of
the building’s trademark limestone and featuring a curved glass and stainless steel railing. A
custom light sculpture by London-based Sharon Marston graces the center of the store and
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 elegant collections.
“Fulfilling dreams”
AMERICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY STORE OPENS
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Curtis Bennett continues as vice president of retail operations with Kathleen Sacco managing
the Salt Lake City retail store. Notable jewelry lines carried by O.C. Tanner include Beaudry,
Roberto Coin, Patek Philippe, Wellendorff, and David Yurman. World renowned jewelry
designer, Angela Cummings, has been commissioned to design a floral blossom necklace for
the store’s opening.
“We have assembled the best of the best to design, build and furnish this amazing space that
will be a most fitting honor to Obert Tanner and the excellence that he inspired in us all,” said
Bennett, O.C. Tanner vice president of retail operations. “He was a remarkable man and this is
a remarkable building. Obert used to say there were four elements to his store – the building,
the merchandise, the sales people, and dreams. Our job, as he said, was to help people fulfill
their dreams. This store will serve dreamers for generations to come.”
O.C. Tanner is an international awards and recognition business based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The
company helps more than 8,000 clients worldwide develop programs designed to recognize and
appreciate their employees. O.C. Tanner also operates two retail jewelry stores in Salt Lake City and
Park City,Utah. With more than 1,800 employees, O.C. Tanner has a total annual revenue of $420
million.
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