We Detroiters like to think of our skyline as the most beautiful in the world. It鈥檚 always nice when we hear that others agree.
鈥淚n our travels across America, I can鈥檛 think of too many cities that can compete with Detroit for its collection of really terrific, especially art deco, historic skyscrapers,鈥 says Mark Houser, author of Highrises Art Deco: 100 Spectacular Skyscrapers from the Roaring 鈥20s to the Great Depression.
Below is a guide to some of those art deco gems, plus other soaring scrapers.听The skyscrapers are listed in order of appearance in the above photo from left to right, top to bottom.
GM Renaissance Center
Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1977
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听727 feet high, 73 floors
- Of note:听It was the tallest hotel in the world when it opened, and it鈥檚 still the tallest building in Detroit.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Renaissance Towers
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1977
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听509 feet high, 39 floors (each tower)
- Of note:听In 1996, General Motors Co. acquired the buildings for its headquarters.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Fisher Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1928
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听441 feet high, 28 floors
- Of note:听It鈥檚 known as 鈥淒etroit鈥檚 largest art object.鈥
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
David Stott Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1929
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听436 feet high, 38 floors
- Of note:听It opened four months before the Great Depression began.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Cadillac Tower
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1927
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听437 feet high, 40 floors
- Of note:听This beautiful late Gothic revival-style skyscraper is perhaps best known in modern times for its hanging murals, like the 14-story Barry Sanders mural that was there from 1994 to 2000.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Ally Detroit Center
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1993
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听619 feet high, 43 floors
- Of note:听It is Michigan鈥檚 tallest office building, and the second tallest building overall.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
One Woodward Avenue
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1963
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听430 feet high, 32 floors
- Of note:听It is the first skyscraper Detroit architect Minoru Yamasaki designed and has been called the forerunner to Yamasaki鈥檚 later project New York City鈥檚 World Trade Center.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Penobscot Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1928
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听565 feet high, 47 floors
- Of note:听When it opened, it was the eighth tallest building in the world.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1976
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听393 feet high, 27 floors
- Of note:听It was named for a U.S. Senator
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
DTE Energy Headquarters
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1971
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听374 feet high, 25 floors
- Of note:听It鈥檚 comprised of three buildings. The Walker-Cisler Building is the tallest.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Guardian Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1929
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听496 feet high, 40 floors
- Of note:听It鈥檚 often thought of as one of the most beautiful Art Deco buildings in the country.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Broderick Tower
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1927
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听369 feet high, 34 floors
- Of note:听It became the third tallest abandoned building in the United States when it closed in 1985.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Book Tower
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1926
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听475 feet high, 38 floors
- Of note:听It was the tallest building in Detroit for two years before Penobscot opened.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
211 West Fort Street
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1963
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听368 feet high, 27 floors
- Of note:听Visit Detroit, the NFL Draft host, calls it home.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Buhl Building
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1925
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听366 feet high, 27 floors
- Of note:听It was designed so that every office has an outside window.
- Address: 听
150 West Jefferson
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1989
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听455 feet high, 28 floors
- Of note:听It鈥檚 across the avenue from Hart Plaza where draft events will take place.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Westin Book Cadillac Detroit
- 翱辫别苍别诲:听1924
- 贬别颈驳丑迟:听29 floors
- Of note:听It was the tallest hotel in the world when it opened.
- 础诲诲谤别蝉蝉:听
Higher Love
Mark Houser and Chris Hytha, the writer and artist behind a beautiful book about Art Deco skyscrapers in the U.S., tell us what they love about Detroit鈥檚 high-rises.
Penobscot Building
This skyscraper exemplifies the art deco 鈥渮iggurat鈥 form, with its heavy monolithic听base tapering to a light metal spire. While the building鈥檚 ornamentation听is minimal, its form and setbacks become the star of the show. It is an unmistakable landmark towering above Detroit鈥檚 skyline. 鈥擟hris Hytha
Buhl Building
Detroiters have the easiest architectural walking tour in America on Griswold Street, where three great 1920s skyscrapers by the brilliant local architect Wirt Rowland stand just a block apart. Rowland鈥檚 Buhl, Penobscot, and Guardian buildings exude the energy and experimentation that characterized the best of art deco. 鈥擬ark Houser
Guardian Building
I am captivated by the use of color and materiality on this unique skyscraper. The architect, Wirt Rowland, was inspired by a trip听to Barcelona when he conceived of this skyscraper, and I can certainly see the influence. The colorful geometric patterns on the facade are unlike any skyscraper I have seen across the country. 鈥擟H
David Stott Building
An English immigrant of humble farming origins, David Stott surely could not have imagined he would have his own skyscraper one day. And though he died before it was built, what a legacy his children created for him with this glowing orange namesake tower flecked with sparkling polychrome panels. 鈥擬H
Fisher Building
Most skyscraper facades are made of stone, tile, or brick, so wrapping one in marble makes a statement. The Fisher boys鈥 gleaming tower showed off how rich they got with their Motor City chassis-making business, not only on the outside but with its lobby, among the most spectacular in any city. 鈥擬H
Book Tower
When a one-of-a-kind building like this reemerges from limbo, it reinforces the hope that听a hard-hit community can bounce back revitalized with a new purpose. Having seen it at its worst, I look at Book Tower now as a metaphor for cities like Detroit and my hometown of Pittsburgh. 鈥擬H
Highrises Art Deco: 100 Spectacular Skyscrapers听from the Roaring 鈥20s to the Great Depression is听now available to order at .听
This story is one piece of our 2024 City Guide, which appeared in the April 2024 issue of 糖心vlog安卓版. For the rest, pick up a copy of 糖心vlog安卓版 Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our听digital edition听will be available on April 5.
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