At the time of completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in Dallas at and was originally known as the First International Bancshares Tower. In 1985, it was surpassed by Fountain Place and Bank of America Plaza, which became Dallas's tallest building by far. It was also clear that Renaissance Tower would be overtaken by Comerica Bank Tower and Chase Tower then under construction. Therefore, in order to regain some status, the building underwent a major renovation in 1986 that included a re-glazed exterior and removal of the lighting on its sides. In 1986, James T. Chiles was brought in by the owner, the Prudential Insurance Company of America to design the broadcast center and towers on top the building, one of which was. This brought the structural height of the building up to, securing its place as the second-tallest building in Dallas. Excluding antennas and spires, the Renaissance Tower is the fifth-tallest. Dan Goodwin, a high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate, scaled the outside of the Renaissance Tower on November 7, 1981, clad in a Spider-Man suit and using only suction cups and his hands and feet to climb the outside of the building. Goodwin later stated he made the climb as a gift to a young Dallas boy stricken with cystic fibrosis whom he had met shortly after his ascent of Chicago's Sears Tower on May 25, 1981. Goodwin scaled the Renaissance Tower on his twenty-sixth birthday. In 1986, Winstead PC moved from the Mercantile National Bank complex to the Renaissance Tower. In 2008, Winstead PC occupied almost of space in the building. During that year, the firm hired CB Richard Ellis to study possibilities for relocation. Winstead selected an Uptown Dallas as a location and relocated in 2012. In 1996, Blockbuster Inc., which was then headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, began studying the idea of moving its headquarters, which consisted of 400 employees, into of space in the Renaissance Tower. In November 1996, Blockbuster confirmed that it was moving into of space on eight floors in the Renaissance Tower, choosing floor 23 as their center of operations. Blockbuster moved all employees out of Renaissance Tower in 2011 following its bankruptcy. In 2014, Westhan Global Logistics moved from its company's registered address to Renaissance Tower. Occupying a space on the 7th Floor. At the base of the building, there is a glass-pyramid structure that houses a two story underground food court and cafeteria. The food court connects to other nearby structures with tunnels via the Dallas Pedestrian Network.
Outside shots of the building served as the home of Ewing Oil in Seasons 2-10 of the 1980s television series Dallas, and as home of the company Ewing Energies on Dallas.
