I don't mind running errands around the downtown area because I get to see some amazing architecture. Detroit was a highly industrial and populated city the first half of the 20th Century, with the large and elaborate business buildings to show for it. You'll find some of the tall buildings and skyscrapers that were built in Detroit in many architectural books. Local architects became renowned for their work in Detroit, using local companies and artisans for their designs. More information is presented about most of these buildings, like year built, architect and other interesting facts.

Fort and Shelby

A detail of a former Comerica building with Classical features of lion head cornice figures, festooned mullions, composite columns and dentil moulding

Ford Building 1

The Ford Building is an example of an older and smaller skyscraper, only 19 stories. Completed in 1909 and designed by architect Daniel Burnham, it is one of many buildings he designed in the central business district.

Ford Building 2

The structure is steel frame with an exterior of white colored terra cotta with Classical details like this section of a cornice. Notice the very small greek key design used at the cpaital base.

Ford Building 3

This detail of a festooned mullion between windows shows dentils, egg and dart and above is the faint pattern of a ball flower.

Ford Building 4

A projecting cornice holds many of these precise icanthus leaves, which appear to be made of two seperate piecesof terra cotta.

Lafayette and Shelby 1

The entrance to an elaborately carved two story building at Fort and Shelby. Made of limestone, the prominent idea of the building is the repetition of pattern. Lions with cartouches sit atop green marble columns.

Lafayette and Shelby 2

A detail of the highly carved door frame of the building with chevron columns and repeated 'S' panels.

Lafayette and Shelby 3

A close up photo of a column capital and lion. Notice the figurehead at the front of the capital and a running beast along the side with mythological figures below. This lion appears to be holding a key.

Lafayette and Shelby 4

A view of the typical treatment to the second story with repeated patterns of icanthus leaves, ball flowers, and patterned courses of stone. Notice the variations in the surface treatment of the mullion columns.

St. Aloysius 1

St. Aloysius is located on Washington Boulevard, once a part of the City Beautiful movement started in 1916. St. Aloysius was founded in 1873.

St. Aloysius 2

A detail of the front gable peak of St. Aloysius and the intricate carved details. Pattern previals here with vines, ball flowers, leaves and knot work. Notice the lower two circled figures are an human and an eagle.

St. Aloysius 3

The large brass door of St. Aloysius shows the Resurrection of Jesus in the tympanum along with a reclining figure and a lion. Below are two repeating figures giving benediction framed by an ornate stone lintel.

St. Aloysius 4

To the north of the entrance to St. Aloysius are figure of six of the Apostle with each name carved into its base. Two have become unreadable due to deteterioration, but the second from the left is Thaddeus, the fourth Thomas, fifth is James and the sixth is John.

St. Aloysius 5

South of the main entrance are the remaining Apostles, from left to right is Peter, James, Andrew, Philip, Simon and Matthew.

Book Building

The Book Building on Washington Boulevard was a part of the early creation of a city beautiful movement in Detroit. The most prominent feature are 12 nude caryatid cornice brackets.

Book Cadillac 1

The Michigan Avenue entrance to the Book Cadillac Hotel, design by Louis Kemper and completed in 1924. This lavish hotel was based on the Statler Hotel in New York city and featured 1,200 rooms.

Book Cadillac 2

Sculptured figues across the cornice represent the four nations that have lived in Detroit further represented by a shield in a cartouche above each head. From right to left: Americans, French, Native Americans and French.

Book Cadillac 6

A close up of the regal lions under the figures with festooned panels, egg and dart patterns along with dentils and a composite capital pilaster.

Buhl Building 1

The Buhl Building was completed in 1925 and designed by prominent Detroit architect Wirt Rowland. The design is moslty Gothic but the entrances show a heavy Romanesque influence.

Buhl Building 2

The carved image of a Native American, common in Detroit and for architect Rowland.

Buhl Building 3

A mythical griffin carved into a secondary archway along the front of the Buhl Building, along with floral and elaborate knot work.

Buhl Building 4

The capital of this column has figues with Mesopotamian styed beards holding coins. Rams heads serve as the corner image, with additional basket weaving, dentils and icanthus leaves.

Buhl Building 5

The cross barrel vaulting of the main entrance to the Buhl Building is a mosiac using bright blue tile. This photo poorly shows the tile colors, along with white, black and gold. The light fixture is original to the building.

Guardian Building 1

Detroit's premiere Art Deco skyscraper is the Guardian Building, originally called the Union Trust Building in 1929. Designed by Wirt Rowland of the architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, the building has been called and ""Aztec temple of finance"".

Guardian Building 2

Constructed moslty of brick and limestone, the polychromatic designs used on the building's elevation is colored terra cotta.

Guardian Building 3

Local tile company Pewabic Pottery supplied the tile used in all of the window arches on the side of the building. This section of a window located on the north elevation has carved voissours and multi-colored tiles in patterns like a beehive, eagle and a crest.

Guardian Building 4

This Aztec warrier stands beside a Griswold Street entrance. He wares an headress and robes that appear to fade into the limestone surface.

Guardian Building 5

This is one of two entrances that face west. Local Pewabic Pottery tile is used in this figure design of blessing. The bright colors of this tile can not be displayed well on this media.

Guardian Building 6

A detail on the west entrance below the figure, probably meaning harvest and home or a tribute to Detroit's agrarian past.

Guardian Building 7

Another detail on the est entrance must be regarding industry. The shadow created by the locomotive has that crisp Art Deco quality.

Guardian Building 8

I had the opportunity to see the inside and this mural of the State of Michigan rests on one wall. The central figure radiates golden lines that sparkle in person. Internal images show symbols of commerce and government, the lowest section of the mural has more tributes to agricultural and industrial workers.

Guardian Building 9

This barrel vault interior photo demonstrates the cathedral like feeling of the design. The metal work was created by local artists and the tile is Pewabic Pottery. The Guardian Building is a National Historic Landmark.

Penobscot Building 1

The Penobscot Building, constructed in 1928 and designed by Wirt Roland. Penobscot refers to a Native American tribe and there are carved Indiana limestone faces along the elevations, like this one above a front entrance. The swastikas that you see between the windows are a traditional Native American design.

Penobscot Building 2

The Native American images are even carried over to the flag pole supports. Draped from the sides of his head is a feathered headress with chevrons covering the neck. Also notice the zig zags along the base of the pole.

Penobscot Building 3

The smooth Indiana limestone has been carved along the entrance frame with more iconography, along with an elaborate window design. Black granite is used for the door lintel.

Penobscot Building 4

The Penobscot Building was the tallest in Detroit when it was complete, 47 stories, and remained so until 1978. The top of the building has layers of setbacks that create depth to the building even from blocks away.

Grand River Pub

An the final photo is one of the last 19th century buildings that can be found in the central business district, the Grand River Pub.