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| ==Future development== | ==Future development== | ||
| In downtown Detroit, there are $1.3 billion in new construction projects.<ref> Ciy of Detroit Partnership</ref> | In downtown Detroit, there are $1.3 billion in new construction projects.<ref> Ciy of Detroit Partnership</ref> | ||
| Speculative development for Detroit includes a new headquarters in Detroit for ] in order to consolidate its suburban offices. Many residential lofts and high rises are under construction in the ] area. | Speculative development for Detroit includes a new headquarters in Detroit for ] in order to consolidate its suburban offices. Planning for a major residential and retail development adjacent to the ] in the works. Many residential lofts and high rises are under construction in the ] area. | ||
| ==Noteable buildings== | ==Noteable buildings== | ||
Revision as of 00:57, 1 January 2007
The architecture of metropolitan Detroit has garnered the attention architects and preservationists alike. Detroit maintains an active community of professionals committed to the city's architectural legacy and its future development recognizing the status of Detroit's architecture as a treasure trove of National Historic Landmarks as the city hopes to secure its place among the world's greatest cities. in 2005, many of Detroit's buildings were placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's most endangered landmarks. Metropolitan Detroit suburbs are among the most affluent in the nation, with contempory estates and gilded age mansions together with modern skyscrapers.
History
Detroit was once called the Paris of the West for its architecture. Founded in 1701, Detroit is the second oldest Parish in the United States. Consequently, the region's many churches are among Metro Detroit's architectural treasures. St. Anne's Church in Detroit is one of the most significant. Other architecturally significant churches include Old St. Mary's Church in Greektown and St. John's Episcopal, an American Civil War era church on Woodward Avenue across from the nation's first Fox Theater.
The Detroit area is home light houses, yacht clubs such as the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, and unique monuments such as the Chauncey Hurlbut Memorial Gate at Waterworks Park. Detroit is replete with such landmarks. Achitects such as Cass Gilbert who designed buildings in Washington, DC also designed the Detroit Public library, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Belle Isle's exquisite James Scott Fountain. Frederick Olmstead, architect of New York City's Central Park, also designed Detroit's 982 acre Belle Isle park.
The Wayne County Building (1897), in downtown Detroit was design by John and Arthur Scott and is among the most traumat buildings in Michigan. Apparently, expense was not a factor in construction of its lavish design. It may be America's finest example of Roman Baroque blended with a Beux-Arts architectural style. Albert Kahn sometimes called the architect of Detroit originally worked for architect John Scott. Architect Albert Kahn designed Detroit's Cadillac Place and the famous Fisher Building with its detailed work and opulent lobby which has been called the city's "largest art object." Near the Wayne County Building, once stood Detroit's old City Hall, a building of equal architectural import.
Detroit's skyscrapers show less influence by the Chicago school of architecture, and are more eastern in character. Detroit's architectural legacy is rich in Art Deco style. Examples of Art Deco in Detroit include Wirt Rowland's Guardian Building, the Albert Kahn's Fisher Building, and the David Stott Building. Comerica Tower with is neogothic spire is a fine example of post modern architecture by noted architects Philip C. Johnson and John Burgee.
Detroit's architectural heritage includes many famous architects. Frank Lloyd Wright particpated in the initial design for Henry Ford's Fairlane Estate in Dearborn. Minoru Yamasaki had patterned his award winning design for the New York City's former World Trade Center towers after his design for Detroit's One Woodward Avenue. Eliel Saarinen was the architect for the Cranbrook Educational Community in the Metro Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills.
Future development
In downtown Detroit, there are $1.3 billion in new construction projects. Speculative development for Detroit includes a new headquarters in Detroit for Quicken Loans in order to consolidate its suburban offices. Planning for a major residential and retail development adjacent to the Renaissance Center in the works. Many residential lofts and high rises are under construction in the Metro Detroit area.
Noteable buildings
- American Center
- Cadillac Place
- Comerica Tower
- Fisher Building
- Guardian Building
- Penobscot Building
- Renaissance Center
- Southfield Town Center
- Somerset Collection
- Wayne County Building
A city within a city
An indicator of economic strength, the office market in Metro Detroit is one of the nation's largest, with 147,082,003 square feet of space. Two noteable examples of Metro Detroit's office architecture amidst the competitive office market are the Renaissance Center and the Southfield Town Center. Both complexes are an interconnected group of skyscrapers being termed a 'city within a city' or a 'pseudo city'.
The construction of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit marked a new era for the city's architecture. Detroit's panoramic skyline would become architecturally renowned. And later, in the 2000's, the city's waterfront would undergo a massive redevelopment. In the 1970's, Detroit Renaissance, chaired by Henry Ford II, commissioned highly regarded architect John Portman to design a massive skyscraper complex in hopes of stemming the tide of white flight to the suburbs precipitated by court-ordered busing. John Portman had hoped halt the exodus. Portman expanded on his earlier design for the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia for the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan beginning a new popular architectural era for the skyscraper hotel. (See another variation in Portman's Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angelos). Stemming the exodus from the city proved difficult for architectural planners with a growing suburban office market and competition from the nearby Southfield Town Center. The Southfield Town Center became easy to recognize with its alluring marque of golden glass skyscapers. Among professionals it was seen as the place to be. The 'city of gold' had attracted tenents and would become competition for the Renaissance Center as Metro Detroit's office market continued its suburban sprawl.
Years early, in 1924, Detroit's Book-Cadillac Hotel had opened as the world's tallest. (A re-developed Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel is set to open in 2008). Completion of the Renaissance Center was a proud moment for Detroit. Its central tower opened as world's tallest hotel skysraper with a flag ship 1298 room Westin hotel and conference center giving the city once again the mantle of having the world's tallest hotel with the largest rooftop restaurant. While asthetically beautiful and secure, critics of John Portman's design for the Renaissance Center flawed its lack of waterfront access and its lack of ease to navigate. Its concrete berms facing Jefferson Avenue were also unpopular with critics. In 1996, General Motors purchased the complex for its new headquarters and the flaws were corrected with a $500 million makeover of the complex, including a $100 renovation of the hotel. A new front door Winter Garden provided waterfront access and expanded retail space while construction of a lighted glass walkway (known as the "green ring") provided for ease of navigation circling the interior mezzanine. The concrete berms were removed and replaced by a pedestrian friendly glass entry way facing Jefferson Avenue. The city together with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy untook a massive $500 million project along the Detroit International Riverfront to construct a riverfront promenade park from Hart Plaza to the Belle Isle bridge. Detroit Wayne County Port Authority added a state of the art cruise ship dock to Hart Plaza 2005.
In 1987, Westin had moved its flagship Detroit hotel to the Southfield Town Center. Marriott International moved its flag ship location to the Renaissance Center. Since 1986, the central tower of the Renaissance Center has remained the tallest hotel skyscaper in the Western Hemisphere. The Southfield Town Center would continue to grow, adding a 5th tower in 1989. Directly across from the complex is Lawrence Technological University.
With a renovated Renaissance Center, Detroit's waterfront has gained international notoriety. The state of Michigan constructed the first ever urban state park, the Tri-centenniel State Park and Harbor. Downtown Detroit has new stadiums and newly configured roads and freeways. The city's historic skyscapers such as the Penobscot Building have state of the art technology in the heart of the city's wireless internet zone.
A third leg in the Metro Detroit area is Dearborn, headquarters to the Ford Motor Company. Dearborn's 14 story Hyatt Regency (1976) with its arched curved design is among the region's finest; it is one of the largest in the Hyatt's chain with 772 rooms. Other Metro Detroit suburbs with major office buildings include Troy with its Top of Troy and Somerset Collection. Auburn Hills is the location of DaimlerChrysler's American headquarters. Ann Arbor's architectural highlights include the University of Michigan Law School with its stained glass windows and Ivy League appearance.
Casinos
See also
Notes
- Cityscape Detroit
- Chauncey Hurlbut Memorial Gate Detroit 1701.
- James Scott Fountain
- 2005 review of American City: Detroit Architecture, with photo of the Fisher Building lobby Metro Times
- The World is coming, see the change Ciy of Detroit Partnership
- Collier's International Market Report - Detroit, Third Quarter, 2006
References and further reading
- Eckhert, Katheryn Bishop (1993). Buildings of Michigan (Society of Architectural Historians). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-5061-49-7.
- Fisher, Dale (1996). Ann Arbor: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 096156234X.
- Fisher, Dale (2003). Building Michigan: A Tribute to Michigan's Construction Industry. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 1891143247.
- Fisher, Dale (2005). Southeast Michigan: Horizons of Growth. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 1891143255.
- Fisher, Dale (1994). Detroit: Visions of the Eagle. Grass Lake, MI: Eyry of the Eagle Publishing. ISBN 0-9615623-3-1.
- Godzak, Roman (2004). Catholic Churches in Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3235-5.
- 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.
- 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. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Portman, John and Jonathan Barnett (1976). The Architect as Developer. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-0705-0536-5.
- Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6.
- Savage, Rebecca Binno and Greg Kowalski (2004). Art Deco in Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
- Tutag, Nola Huse with Lucy Hamilton (1988). Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1875-4.
External links
- Aerialpics.com
- Cityscape Detroit
- Detroit 1701
- Detroit pix
- Detroit Renaissance
- Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
- Experience Detroit
- Fabulous ruins of Detroit
- New Center Council
- Photography-plus.com
- Publishers 2005 review of American City: Detroit Architecture
- The American City
- Metro Times 2005 review of American City: Detroit Architecture
- The world is coming, see the change
- Riverfront Tower I
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