Warren's 'Industrial Versailles': the GM Technical Center
Eero Saarinen's GM Technical Center was dedicated in 1956 with President Eisenhower speaking remotely from the White House, and it remains an active GM campus.
Drive the edge of the GM Technical Center and you can glimpse low glass buildings, glazed brick, reflecting pools, and the silver Design Dome. The National Park Service calls the original complex one of Eero Saarinen’s most important works. Its landmark boundary covers roughly 400 acres, while GM describes today’s larger working campus as 710 acres.
The dedication took place on May 16, 1956, with about 5,000 guests in Warren. President Dwight Eisenhower gave the address from the White House over closed-circuit television, not from the campus. The NPS nomination also clears up the nickname: Architectural Forum, not Life, called the complex an “Industrial Versailles.”
The Tech Center helped set a new standard for the modern corporate campus, but it did not invent the idea. The NPS study points to earlier research campuses and describes this one as the first of four influential Saarinen corporate complexes. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2014.
GM still uses the site for design, engineering, and advanced technology. It is a private workplace rather than a public architecture attraction, so enjoy the perimeter view unless GM announces an authorized event or visit.
Where to see it
The Tech Center is an active GM workplace, not a public museum. Some of Saarinen's buildings and the Design Dome can be seen from the perimeter; do not enter without authorization.
Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 15, 2026.