From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guardian Building
Guardian Building
Guardian Building U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark
Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art moderne designs.[3] At the top of the Guardian Building’s spire, is a large American Flag, complementing the four smaller flags atop nearby 150 West Jefferson. The building has undergone recent award-winning renovations.
Architecture
The main frame of the skyscraper rises 36 stories, capped by two asymmetric spires, one extending for four additional stories. The roof height is of the building is 496 ft (151 m), the top floor is 489 feet (149 m), and the spire reaches 632 ft (192.6 m). The exterior blends brickwork with tile, limestone, and terra cotta. The building’s interior is lavishly decorated with mosaic and Pewabic and Rookwood tile. The semi-circular exterior domes are filled with Pewabic Pottery; Mary Chase Perry Stratton worked closely with the architect in the design of the symbolic decorations. [4] (See Savage, infra.) Its nickname, Cathedral of Finance, alludes both to the building’s resemblance to a cathedral, with its tower over the main entrance and octagonal apse at the opposite end and to New York City’s Woolworth Building, which had earlier been dubbed the Cathedral of Commerce.[3] Native American themes are common inside and outside the building. Wirt C. Rowland, of the Smith Hinchman & Grylls firm, was the building’s architect while Corrado Parducci created the two sculptures flanking the Griswold Street entrance. The building includes works by muralist Ezra Winter.[5] Roland’s attention to detail was meticulous. He supervised the creation of bricks to achieve the desired color for the exterior and designed furniture for the bank’s offices. His attention went as far as designing tableware, linens and waitress uniforms for a restaurant in the building.
Nickname: Cathedral of Finance Location: 500 Griswold Street Detroit, Michigan United States 42°19′47″N 83°2′45″W / 42.32972°N 83.04583°W / 42.32972; -83.04583 1928 Wirt Rowland; Smith Hinchman & Grylls Art Deco Wayne County, Michigan June 29, 1989 June 29, 1989[1] 89001165
[2]
Coordinates:
Built/Founded: Architect: Architectural style(s): Governing body: Added to NRHP: Designated NHL: NRHP Reference#:
The Guardian Building, designated a National Historic Landmark on June 29, 1989, is a skyscraper in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Today, the building is owned by Wayne County, Michigan and serves as its headquarters. Built in 1928 and finished in 1929, the building was originally called the Union
History
Col. Frank Hecker and Michigan Senator James McMillan were both founders of the Union Trust which built the Guardian,
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance. During World War II, the Guardian Building served as the U.S Army Command Center for war time production with Detroit being called the Arsenal of Democracy.[3] The Guardian served various tenants as an office building in downtown and was restored in 1986. On July 18, 2007, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced it has entered into an agreement with current owners to purchase the Guardian Building to relocate its offices from the Wayne County Building. The deal is reportedly part of a larger deal worth $33.5 million in real estate purchases in downtown Detroit.[6]
Guardian Building
References and further reading
• Ferry, W. Hawkins (1968). The Buildings of Detroit: A History. Wayne State University Press. • Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. • Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, Shadowing Parducci, unpublished manuscript, Detroit. • Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. • Art Deco Wayne State University Press. ISBN • Buhl Building 0-8143-1651-4. • Cadillac Place • Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: • Corrado Parducci Detroit Architecture. Wayne State • David Stott Building University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6. • Fisher Building • Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski • Penobscot Building (2004). Art Deco in Detroit (Images of • Pewabic Pottery America). Arcadia. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2. • Robert Sharoff • Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). • Wirt C. Rowland Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0933691092. • Tottis, James W. (2008). The Guardian [1] "Guardian Building". National Historic Building: Cathedral of Finance. Wayne Landmark summary listing. National State University Press. ISBN Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/ 9780814333853. detail.cfm?ResourceId=2061&ResourceType=Building. • Tutag, Nola Huse with Lucy Hamilton Retrieved on 2008-06-27. (1988). Discovering Stained Glass in [2] "National Register Information System". Detroit. Wayne State University Press. National Register of Historic Places. ISBN 0-8143-1875-4. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
See also
Notes
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
http://www.nr.nps.gov/. ^ Zacharias, Pat (March 10, 2001).Guardian Building has long been the crown jewel in the Detroit skyline. Michigan History, Detroit News. Retrieved on July 28, 2008. Nolan, Jenny (February 13, 2000).Pewabic tile, Detroit’s art treasure. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on June 6, 2008. Tottis, James W. (2008). The Guardian Building: Cathedral of Finance. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814333853. Detroit Development News (July 31 2007).Model D Media. Retrieved on July 29, 2008.
Photo gallery
Guardian Building on View from the left, Woodward One Woodward AvenAve. ue on the right
Main entrance Flag is seen across the city and in Windsor, Ontario
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guardian Building
• Guardian Building at UrbanUp • Sterling Group: Property owners • Detroit News Rearview Mirror story, March 10, 2001 • Guardian Building at Google’s 3D Warehouse • Guardian Building in the Structurae database
External links
Guardian Building: Official web-site [1]: Interior photos by Alex Kahn Guardian Building at Building Photos Guardian Building at Emporis Guardian Building at the National Park Service • Guardian Building at SkyscraperPage • • • • •
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardian_Building" Categories: Art Deco buildings in the United States, Skyscrapers in Detroit, Michigan, National Historic Landmarks in Michigan, Buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci, 1929 architecture, Skyscrapers between 150 and 199 meters This page was last modified on 3 May 2009, at 18:47 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
3