Fisher and New Center Buildings

Last updated
Fisher and New Center Buildings
KahnFisherBuildingsDetroit.jpg
Albert Kahn Building (left) and Fisher Building (right) in Detroit. Cadillac Place is in the background.
Fisher and New Center Buildings
Interactive map
Location Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates 42°22′11″N83°4′39″W / 42.36972°N 83.07750°W / 42.36972; -83.07750
Built1927 and 1930
Architect Albert Kahn
Architectural style Art Deco
NRHP reference No. 80001922 [1]
Added to NRHPOctober 14, 1980

The Fisher Building and the New Center Building are two office buildings located adjacent to one another at 7430 2nd Avenue and 3011 West Grand Boulevard in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. They share a 1980 listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Contents

Fisher Building

The Fisher Building is a 30-story office building designed by Albert Kahn. It was built in 1928, constructed primarily of limestone, granite, and marble. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 29, 1989, has been nicknamed Detroit's largest art object. [2] The building was to house the automotive company Fisher Body of the Fisher brothers (Frederick, Charles, William, Lawrence, Edward, Alfred and Howard), and is widely considered Kahn's greatest achievement. The year of its construction, the Fisher building was honored by the Architectural League of New York as the year's most beautiful commercial structure. The opulent three-story barrel vaulted lobby is constructed with 40 different kinds of marble, decorated by Hungarian artist Géza Maróti, and is highly regarded by architects. [3] [4]

New Center Building

The New Center Building was also designed by Kahn and built by the Fisher brothers. [5] The ten-story building is architecturally similar to the Fisher Building, and the two are connected by a tunnel. The building was originally designed to house office and retail space, but as of 2004 houses only offices, including those of Albert Kahn and Associates. [5] The building was renamed the Albert Kahn Building in 1988. [5]

Significance

The Fisher Building was built in 1927–1928; the New Center Building followed in 1930–31. [6] The two buildings are the only structures built by the Fishers in the New Center; although more buildings were planned, the Great Depression and World War II intervened. [7] However, the Fisher and New Center Buildings as a pair are an architecturally significant complex demonstrating some of the finest craftsmanship and artistry in Art Deco style buildings. [6] The two buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1980; the Fisher Building was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 29, 1989.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Kahn (architect)</span> American architect

Albert Kahn was an American industrial architect who designed industrial plant complexes such as the Ford River Rouge automobile complex. He designed the construction of Detroit skyscrapers and office buildings as well as mansions in the city suburbs. He led an organization of hundreds of architect associates and in 1937, designed 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. Under a unique contract in 1929, Kahn established a design and training office in Moscow, sending twenty-five staff there to train Soviet architects and engineers, and to design hundreds of industrial buildings under their first five-year plan. They trained more than 4,000 architects and engineers using Kahn's concepts. In 1943, the Franklin Institute posthumously awarded Kahn the Frank P. Brown Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrado Parducci</span> American sculptor

Corrado Giuseppe Parducci was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early-20th century works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Building</span> United States historic place

The Fisher Building is a landmark skyscraper located at 3011 West Grand Boulevard in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The ornate 30-story building, completed in 1928, is one of the major works of architect Albert Kahn, and is designed in an Art Deco style, faced with limestone, granite, and several types of marble. The Fisher family financed the building with proceeds from the sale of Fisher Body to General Motors. It was designed to house office and retail space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadillac Place</span> Government offices in Detroit, Michigan

Cadillac Place, formerly the General Motors Building, is a landmark high-rise office complex located at 3044 West Grand Boulevard in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It was renamed for the French founder of Detroit, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. It is a National Historic Landmark in Michigan, listed in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guardian Building</span> United States historic place

The Guardian Building is a landmark skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Financial District. 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. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is currently owned by Wayne County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Center, Detroit</span> Cultural enclave and neighborhoods in Wayne County, Michigan, United States

New Center is a commercial and residential district located in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to Midtown, one mile (1.6 km) north of the Cultural Center, and approximately three miles (5 km) north of Downtown. The area is centered just west of the intersection of Woodward Avenue and Grand Boulevard, and is bounded by, and includes the Virginia Park Historic District on the north, the Edsel Ford Freeway (I-94) on the south, John R Street on the east and the Lodge Freeway on the west. New Center, and the surrounding areas north of I-94, are sometimes seen as coterminous with the North End, while in fact separate districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buhl Building</span> Building in Detroit

The Buhl Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Architect Wirt C. Rowland designed the Buhl in a Neo-Gothic style with Romanesque accents. Constructed in 1925, it stands at 26 stories in the Detroit Financial District across Congress Street from the Penobscot Building and across Griswold Street from the Guardian Building, all of which were designed by Wirt C. Rowland. The Buhl Building stands on the corner of Congress St. West, and Griswold St. in Downtown Detroit. The building stands atop what used to be the Savoyard Creek near its confluence with the Detroit River. In 1836, the creek was covered and turned into a sewer. The Savoyard Club occupied the 27th floor of the Buhl Building from 1928 until its membership dwindled and the club closed in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Stott Building</span> Skyscraper in Detroit

The David Stott Building is a 38 story high-rise apartment building with office space on floors 2-6 and retail space on the first floor. The "Stott" was originally built as a class-A office building located at 1150 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Capitol Park Historic District. It was designed in the Art Deco style by the architectural firm of Donaldson and Meier and completed in 1929. Bedrock Detroit owns and manages the building which began leasing in late 2018 and includes 107 apartment homes and 5 floors of commercial office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Albert (Detroit)</span> United States historic place

The Albert, formerly the Griswold Building, is a former office building named after architect Albert Kahn, located at 1214 Griswold Street in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and is part of the Capitol Park Historic District. In 2014, it was renovated into apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of metropolitan Detroit</span> Architecture style of Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, USA

The architecture of metropolitan Detroit continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike. With one of the world's recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The post-modern neogothic spires of One Detroit Center refer to designs of the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers. Together with the Renaissance Center, they form the city's distinctive skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Athletic Club</span> Private club in the United States

The Detroit Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. It is located across the street from Detroit's historic Music Hall. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other private clubs worldwide. It contains full-service athletic facilities, pools, restaurants, ballrooms, and guest rooms. Members include business professionals of all types as well as professional athletes. Ty Cobb is among the athletes to have been a member of the DAC. The building is visible beyond center field from Comerica Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argonaut Building</span> Historic place in Detroit, Michigan

The Argonaut Building, renamed in 2009 the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, is a large office building located at 485 West Milwaukee Avenue in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan, across the street from Cadillac Place GM's former corporate headquarter office. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Amsterdam Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The New Amsterdam Historic District is a historic district located in Detroit, Michigan. Buildings in this district are on or near three sequential east-west streets on the two blocks between Woodward Avenue and Second Avenue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Kahn Building</span> United States historic place

The Albert Kahn Building, formerly New Center Building, is an office building located at 7430 Second Avenue in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan completed in 1931. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dearborn Inn</span> United States historic place

The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel is a historic hotel in the suburban city of Dearborn, Michigan in Metro Detroit. It opened in 1931 and closed in February 2023 for renovations. It was conceived by Henry Ford, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport hotels. It is located at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard near The Henry Ford and the world headquarters building of Ford Motor Company. Albert Kahn designed the Dearborn Inn in the Georgian architectural style. The Dearborn Inn is owned by Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and managed by Marriott International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Financial District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Detroit Financial District is a United States historic district in downtown Detroit, Michigan. The district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 2009, and was announced as the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of December 24, 2009.

The performing arts in Detroit include orchestra, live music, and theater, with more than a dozen performing arts venues. The stages and old time film palaces are generally located along Woodward Avenue, the city's central thoroughfare, in the Downtown, Midtown, and New Center areas. Some additional venues are located in neighborhood areas of the city. Many of the city's significant historic theaters have been revitalized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Center Commercial Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The New Center Commercial Historic District is a commercial historic district located on Woodward Avenue between Baltimore Street and Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District</span> United States historic place

The University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District is a historic district consisting of a group of major buildings on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. Houston, Kay and Linda Culpepper (March 20, 2001).The most beautiful building in the world Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
  3. Rebecca Mazzei (November 30, 2005).Still Standing. Metro Times. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
  4. AIA Detroit Urban Priorities Committee, (January 10, 2006).Top 10 Detroit Interiors.Model D Media. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Randall Fogelman, Detroit's New Center, Arcadia Publishing, 2004, ISBN   0-7385-3271-1, pp. 54-56.
  6. 1 2 Fisher and New Center Buildings from History, Arts, and Libraries at the state of Michigan.
  7. Randall Fogelman, Detroit's New Center, Arcadia Publishing, 2004, ISBN   0-7385-3271-1, p. 7.