Guardian Building
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| Guardian Building National Historic Landmark |
|
 
Nick name: The Cathedral of Finance |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location | 500 Griswold Street |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 1928-1929 1986 restoration Art Deco style |
| Use | Office |
| Height | |
| Antenna/Spire | 192.6 m |
| Roof | 151 m (496 ft) |
| Top floor | 149 m (489 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 40 |
| Elevator count | 22 |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Wirt C. Rowland SmithGroup |
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 Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture, including art moderne designs.[1] At the top of the Guardian Building's spire, is a huge American Flag, similar to the four smaller flags sitting atop nearby 150 West Jefferson. The building has undergone recent award-winning renovations.
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[edit] History and use
The main frame of the skyscraper rises 36 stories, capped by two asymmetric spires, one extending for four additional stories. The height of the building is 489 feet (149 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. [2] (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.[1] 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. 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. Col. Frank Hecker and Michigan Senator James McMillan were both founders of the Union Trust which built the Guardian. 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.[1] The Guardian served various tenants as an office building in downtown and was restored in 1986.
[edit] Purchase by Wayne County
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 reported purchase price is 14.5 million dollars.
The deal is reportedly part of a larger deal worth $30-million in real estate purchases in downtown Detroit. All transactions must be approved by the Wayne County Commission. This purchase would commence when the County's lease on their current home expires next year.[3][4]
[edit] See also
- Art Deco
- Buhl Building
- Cadillac Place
- Corrado Parducci
- David Stott Building
- Fisher Building
- Penobscot Building
- Pewabic Pottery
- Robert Sharoff
- Wirt C. Rowland
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Zacharias, Pat (March 21, 2001).Guardian Building has long been the crown jewel in the Detroit skyline. Michigan History, Detroit News. Retrieved on June 2, 2008.
- ^ Nolan, Jenny (February 13, 2000).Pewabic tile, Detroit's art treasure. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on June 6, 2008.
- ^ Gallager, John. Detroit Free Press. "Wayne Co. to buy Guardian Building for $14.5 million". Retrieved on July 18, 2007.
- ^ Snell, Robert. Detroit News. "Ficano wants to buy Guardian Building and nearby parking deck". Retrieved on July 18, 2007.
[edit] References and further reading
- 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. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.
- 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. ISBN 0-7385-3228-2.
- Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0933691092.
[edit] Photo gallery
 View from Woodward Ave. |
 Guardian Building on the left, One Woodward Avenue on the right |
 Main entrance |
 Flag is seen across the city and in Windsor, Ontario |
[edit] External links
- Guardian Building - official website
- Entry from the National Register site
- Building Photos: Guardian Building
- Sterling Group - building owners
- Guardian Building in the Structurae database
- Guardian Building at Emporis.com
- SkyscraperPage.com's Profile on the Guardian Building
- Detroit News Rearview Mirror story, March 10, 2001
- Guardian Building at Google's 3D Warehouse
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