Architecture of Detroit Preview

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Campus Martius

Campus Martius was created in 1850 and is a popular meeting area for all of the people in Detroit. Standing in Campus Martius you are surrounded by big,tall buildings and it makes you feel small compared to everything else around you. Campus Martius is named for its military ground. During the Civil War, Soldiers would get sent off at the park. There is now a monument for these soldiers called the, Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

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One Detroit Center

The building was constructed in 1993 by John Burgee and Philip Johnson. It used to be called Comerica Tower because the bank used the building before it left for Texas. Next to the Renaissance Center it is the second tallest building in the state.

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Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory was opened in 1904 after they were built by the firm Mason & Kahn. The conservatory houses hundreds of tropical and exotic plants. The glass dome is 85 feet high for some of the plants to grow. Everytime I go there it is never busy but in the 1920s over 1.5 million people visited every year.

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Renaissance Center

The Renaissance Center's first tower was opened in 1976 designed by architect, John Portman. The Renaissance's main tower is the tallest building in Michigan, flanked by 4 smaller towers. In 1996 the Renaissance Center became the headquarters for General Motors. That building employs over 10000 people.

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Fisher Building

The Fisher Building was constructed by architect, Albert Kahn, in 1928. The Fisher brothers commissioned the project out and called it a "architect's dream project." They told the architect to design whatever he wanted, the brothers wanted it to have more than offices, they wanted stores in there and entertainment. They building was made of everything extravagant, Marble and Bronze. The Fisher brother built this as a way of giving back to the city of Detroit. Now its hard to keep people in the building. I have been in this building for meetings, and the interior is absolutly beautiful. I would recommend stopping in just to look at the first floor, if nothing else.

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Detroit Institute of Arts

The building is called Beaux-Arts and it was designed by Paul Cret. Two winds were added and the last renovation was completed in 2007. The Detroit Institute of Art has over 100 galleries and 1200 seat auditorium, and it also has a conservation services laboratory.

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Fox Theater

The Fox Theater opened in 1928 and shown film and audiences all kinds of shows. William Fox was the one who opened the doors, he had hundreds of other theaters all over the United States. There were over 400 employees at the Fox theater in the 1920s. There is 5000 seats in the Fox Theater. In 1989 it was marked as a historical landmark. Fox Theater is one of the most notorious theaters in the United States.

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The Guardian Building

The Guardian Building was built by the architural first Smith Hinchman and Grylls in 1929. It was made a national historic landmark. It has been made from expensive material, such as Italian marble, Monel metal, and also marble from Tennessee. It has a mosaic and stained glass arts. The inside of the building is absolutly imaculate. I would recommend going inside if you get a chance while on your walking tour.

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Penobscot Building

The The Penobscot building is named after a Native American tribe from New England. The building was built in 1928 and designed by architect Wirt C. Rowland. There are actually three buildings built all at different times, giving it the art Deco look that it has. The first building was built in 1905, and the other parts were build in 1916. The Penosbscot building has been up for over 80 years, but has had some negative feelings toward it because its thought to have Swastika's all over the building, but those attitudes have been changed because the "so called" Swastikas are only a motif from the Native American's.