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The architecture of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan continues to attract the attention of architects and preservationists alike.^[1][2] With one of the world's most recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The past meets the present as the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with the post modern neogothic spires of the Comerica Tower at Detroit Center (1994). Together with the gleaming Renaissance Center, they form the city's marque.

Detroit has an active community of professionals who are committed to the city's architectural legacy and future development.^[3] Detroit's architecture is recognized as being among the nation's finest with the National Trust for Historic Preservation listing many of Detroit's skyscrapers and buildings as some of America's most endangered landmarks.^[4] Detroit has one of the nation's largest surviving collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings.^[5] Metro Detroit suburbs are among the most affluent in the nation with upscale malls, contemporary estates, and gilded age mansions.

Contents 1 History 2 Architectural sculpture 2.1 Examples 3 Modern highlights 3.1 A city within a city 3.2 Metro area 3.3 Future development 4 Notable buildings 5 Casinos 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links

In the late nineteenth century, Detroit was called the Paris of the West for its architecture. Founded in 1701, Detroit is the second oldest parish in the United States. Consequently, Metro Detroit's many churches are among its architectural gems. St. Anne's Church (1887) in Detroit is one of the most significant. A partial list includes the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (1915), the Victorian Gothic style Fort Street Presbyterian Church (1855), Old St. Mary's Church (1885) in Greektown, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul (1911) by Ralph Adams Cram, and Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian (1958) in Bloomfield Hills by Wirt C. Rowland. The Victorian Gothic style St. John's Episcopal Church (1861) sits across from the nation's first Fox Theater on Woodward Avenue. Sculptor Corrado Parducci's work adorns many of Detroit's churches including the ornate facade of St. Aloysius Church (1930). Among his Detroit projects, Gordon W. Lloyd designed the Christ P.E. Church (1863) at 960 E. Jefferson Avenue. The Detroit Historical Society at the Detroit Historical Museum provides information on tours of the city's many historic churches.

Following a fire in 1805, Fr. Gabriel Richard had said, "Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus," meaning "We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes" which became the city's official motto. For Detroit, Justice Augustus B. Woodward devised a plan similar to Pierre Charles L'Enfant's design for Washington, DC. Detroit's momumental avenues and traffic circles fan out in a baroque styled radial fashion from Grand Circus Park in the heart of the city's theater district.^[6] Compuware World Headquarters overlooks the reconstructed traffic cicle surrounding Campus Martius Park with the historic Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument of the American Civil War. Once nearby, the old Detroit City Hall (1861) was demolished in 1961.

Architects John and Arthur Scott designed the Wayne County Building (1897) in downtown Detroit. Apparently, expense was not a factor in construction of its lavish design. Topped with bronze quadrigas by J. Massey Rhind and an Anthony Wayne pediment by Edward Wagner, it may be America's finest surviving example of Roman Baroque architecture with a blend of Beaux-Arts.

Albert Kahn, often called the "architect of Detroit," originally worked for John Scott. Kahn designed what is now Cadillac Place (1923) for General Motors which was the largest office building in the world when it opened. The seven Fisher brothers who owned the automotive company Fisher Body essentially gave architect Albert Kahn a blank check to design and build the "most beautiful building in the world."^[7] This became Detroit's famous Fisher Building (1927) which, with its detailed work, has been called the city's "largest art object;" its opulent 3 story barrel vaulted lobby is constructed with 40 different kinds of marble.^[8][9] The Fisher Building and Cadillac Place are among the many National Historic Landmarks in Detroit.

With the notable exception of the 1001 Woodward (1965) building, 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 include Wirt C. Rowland's Guardian Building (1929), Albert Kahn's Fisher Building, and the David Stott Building (1929). Comerica Tower at Detroit Center (1994), with is neogothic spires, is a fine example of post modern architecture by leading architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee.

The Detroit area is home to light houses, yacht clubs, and many unique monuments. Examples include the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club (1929) and the Chauncey Hurlbut Memorial Gate at Waterworks Park.^[10] Achitects such as Cass Gilbert who designed the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC also designed the Detroit Public Library (1921) and Belle Isle's exquisite James Scott Fountain.^[11] Frederick Olmstead, landscape architect of New York City's Central Park, designed Detroit's 982 acre Belle Isle park. Paul Cret, architect of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. designed the Detroit Institute of Arts building while Marshall Fredericks' sculptures, which include the Spirit of Detroit, may be seen throughout the metopolitan area. Sculptor Corrado Parducci's work can be found on many notable Metro Detroit buildings such as the Meadowbrook Hall mansion, the Guardian Building, the Buhl Building (1925), the Penobscot Building (1928), the Fisher Building and the David Stott Building.

The mansions of metropolitan Detroit are among the nation's grandest estates. Meadow Brook Hall (1929), the 110 room 88,000 sq. ft. mansion of Matilda Dodge Wilson at 480 South Adams Rd. in the suburb of Rochester Hills, is the fourth largest in the United States. The suburbs of Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe are replete with grandiose mansions. Albert Kahn designed Cranbrook House in Bloomfield Hills and the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House at 1100 Lakeshore Dr. in Grosse Pointe. Rose Terrace, the mansion of Anna Dodge, once stood at 2 Lakeshore Dr. in Grosse Pointe. Designed by Horace Trumbauer as a Louis XV styled château, Rose Terrace was an enlarged version of the firm's Miramar in Newport, RI. A developer, the highest bidder for Rose Terrace, demolished it in 1976 to create an upscale neighborhood. This gave a renewed sense of urgency to preservationists.^[12] The Dodge Collection from Rose Terrace may be viewed at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Russell A. Alger House, at 32 Lakeshore Dr., serves as the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.^[13] Noted architect Gordon W. Lloyd designed the Whitney House constructed of jasper stone. The Whitney House is now a fine restaurant at 4421 Woodward Avenue.

Detroit's heritage includes many other famous architects. Frank Lloyd Wright participated in the initial design for Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate in Dearborn.^[14] Frank Lloyd Wright also designed the Turkel house at 2760 West Seven Mile Rd.^[15], the Affleck House at 1925 N. Woodward Ave., and the Wall House in Plymouth. Minoru Yamasaki 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. Eliel's son, the famed modernist Eero Saarinen, designed a complex of buildings in the suburb of Warren, Michigan for General Motors known as the GM Technical Center. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the buildings for Detroit's Lafayette Park neighborhood (1958-1965), including three high-rise apartment buildings and over 200 townhouses. A successful 78 acre urban renewal project, this development is the largest concentration of buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe in the world.

by J. Massey Rhind Wayne County Building	by J. Massey Rhind Wayne County Building	by Edward Wagner Pediment Wayne County Building	by (unknown sculptor) Chemistry Building University of Detroit Mercy
by Corrado Parducci Guardian Building	by Corrado Parducci David Stott Building	by Corrado Parducci Penobscot Building	by Corrado Parducci Kirk in the Hills

An indicator of economic strength, the competitive office market in metro Detroit is one of the nation's largest, with 147,082,003 square feet (13,664,000 m²) of space.^[16] Two notable office complexes are the 5,500,000 sq. ft. (511,000 m²) Renaissance Center and the 2,200,000 sq. ft. (204,000 m²) Southfield Town Center. Each complex is an interconnected group of skyscrapers 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 2000s, the city's waterfront would undergo a massive redevelopment. In the 1970s, Detroit Renaissance, chaired by Henry Ford II, commissioned highly regarded architect John Portman to design an enormous skyscraper complex called the Renaissance Center in hopes of stemming the tide of white flight to the suburbs precipitated by court-ordered busing. John Portman had hoped to 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 Portman's Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angelos, California).

Stemming the exodus from the city proved difficult for architectural planners with a growing suburban office market. The Southfield Town Center (1975 - 1989) 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 tenants in competition with the Renaissance Center as Metro Detroit's office market continued its suburban sprawl.

Years earlier, Detroit's Book-Cadillac Hotel (1924) had opened as the world's tallest; it is now a re-developed Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel (2008). Completion of the Renaissance Center (1977) restored the city's mantle. The Renaissance Center's central tower opened with the world's tallest hotel skysraper, a flag ship 1298 room Westin hotel and conference center with the largest rooftop restaurant. John Portman's design was aesthetically beautiful and secure. However, Westin moved its flagship Detroit hotel to the Southfield Town Center across from Lawrence Technological University. The central tower of the Renaissance Center became occupied by Marriott International's largest hotel.

In 1996, the Renaissance Center's design would change when General Motors purchased the entire complex for its new headquarters. The $500-million makeover of the complex included a $100-million renovation of the hotel. A new front door Wintergarden (2003) provided waterfront access with spectacular views and expanded retail space. Construction of a lighted glass walkway (known as the "green ring") provided for ease of navigation circling the interior mezzanine. Concrete berms facing Jefferson Avenue were removed and replaced by a pedestrian friendly glass entry way facing Jefferson Avenue. Since 1986, the central tower of the Renaissance Center has remained the tallest hotel skyscaper in the Western Hemisphere.

The city, together with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, undertook another $500 million project along the Detroit International Riverfront to construct a three-mile riverfront promenade park along the east river from Hart Plaza and the Renaissance Center to the Belle Isle bridge. Detroit Wayne County Port Authority added the Dock of Detroit (2005), a state of the art cruise ship dock near the Renaissance Center on Hart Plaza. A two-mile extension along the west river will take the riverfront promenade park from Hart Plaza to the Ambassador Bridge (1929) for a total of five miles of parkway from bridge to bridge. The city's waterfront has gained international notoriety. The state of Michigan constructed the first urban state park, the Tri-Centennial State Park (2003) and Harbor. Downtown Detroit has new stadiums and newly configured roads and freeways.

1000 Town Center	3000 Town Center	4000 Town Center	5000 Town Center
Southfield Town Center	American Center in Metro Detroit	Renaissance Center	One Kennedy Square (left) and 1001 Woodward (right) behind the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

A third leg in the metro Detroit area is Dearborn, headquarters to the Ford Motor Company. Dearborn's 14 story Hyatt Regency (1976) luxury hotel with its curved design by Charles Luckman is among the region's finest; it is one of the largest in the Hyatt chain with 772 rooms. The suburb of Troy has many offices such as the Top of Troy along with the upscale Somerset Collection mall. Auburn Hills is the location of DaimlerChrysler's American headquarters. Detroit's historic skyscapers such as the Penobscot Building have state of the art technology in the heart of the city's wireless internet zone. Some of the newer multi-million dollar estates in the metro area include those of the Turtle Lake development in Bloomfield Hills.^[17] Young professionals are choosing to live in the grandiose mansions of Grosse Pointe in order to be closer to the urban scene.

See also: Economy of metropolitan Detroit

In downtown Detroit, there are $1.3 billion in new construction projects.^[18] Speculative development for Detroit includes a new downtown headquarters for Quicken Loans in order to consolidate its suburban offices.^[19] Planning for a major residential and retail development adjacent to the Renaissance Center is in the works. Many residential lofts and high rises are under construction in the Metro Detroit area. The Inn at Ferry Street is an example of a successful historic downtown resoration project. Other historic restoration projects in Detroit include housing in the Midtown area, the Fort Shelby Hotel, and the Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel. Rising professionals are generating an urban renaissance in downtown Detroit with new loft construction.^[20] The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is studying the feasibility of a light rail or other rapid transit link from Ann Arbor to Detroit.^[21][22]

Partial list

• American Center
• Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
• Buhl Building
• Cadillac Place
• Comerica Tower
• Compuware World Headquarters
• Cranbrook Educational Community
• David Stott Building
• Detroit Athletic Club
• Detroit Institute of Arts
• Detroit Opera House
• Detroit Public Library
• Detroit Theatre District
• Fisher Building
• Fox Theatre (Detroit)
• Guardian Building
• Grosse Pointe South High School
• Hyatt Regency Dearborn
• Metropolitan Building (Detroit)
• Michigan Central Station
• Penobscot Building
• Renaissance Center
• Southfield Town Center
• Somerset Collection
• University of Michigan Law School
• Wayne County Building
• Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel

• Greektown Casino
• MGM Grand Detroit
• Motor City Casino

• Belle Isle Aquarium
• Belle Isle (Michigan)
• Campus Martius Park
• Casino Windsor
• Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
• Chene Park
• Detroit Boat Club
• Detroit Institute of Arts
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport
• Detroit People Mover
• Detroit Theatre District
• Detroit Zoo
• Eastern Michigan University
• Grand Circus Park
• The Henry Ford
• Hart Plaza
• Images of Detroit
• Images of Michigan
• Lawrence Technological University
• Marshall Fredericks
• Oakland University
• Robert Sharoff
• Tri-Centennial State Park
• University of Detroit Mercy
• University of Michigan
• Wayne State University

• Eckhert, Katheryn Bishop (1993). Buildings of Michigan (Society of Architectural Historians). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-5061-49-7. 
• Ferry, W. Hawkins (1968). The Buildings of Detroit: A History. Wayne State University Press.
• 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. 
• Hauser, Michael and Marianne Weldon (2006). Downtown Detroit's Movie Palaces (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4102-8. 
• 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, Architectural Sculpture of America, unpublished manuscript
• 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. 
• Matuz, Roger (2001). Albert Kahn, Architect of Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0814329578. 
• Nawrocki, Dennis Alan and Thomas J. Holleman (1980). Art in Detroit Public Places. Wayne State University Press.
• Portman, John and Jonathan Barnett (1976). The Architect as Developer. McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-0705-0536-5. 
• Rodriguez, Michael and Thomas Featherstone (2003). Detroit's Belle Isle Island Park Gem (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-2315-1. 
• 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. 
• Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0933691092. 
• Tutag, Nola Huse with Lucy Hamilton (1988). Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1875-4. 
• Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit 1701-2001. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2914-4. 

• Aerialpics.com
• AIA Detroit (Chapter of the American Institute of Architects)
• The American City
• Buildings of Detroit (historic)
• Cityscape Detroit
• Detroit 1701
• Detroit Midtown
• Detroit pix
• Detroit Renaissance
• Detroit Riverfront Conservancy
• Detroit Yes
• Downtown Detroit photo gallery
• Downtown Historic Churches Association of Detroit
• Experience Detroit
• Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
• Grosse Pointe Historical Society
• Henry Ford's Fair Lane Estate
• Hour Detroit magazine
• Model D Media
• New Center Council
• Photography-plus.com
• Publishers 2005 review of American City: Detroit Architecture
• Metro Times 2005 review of American City: Detroit Architecture
• The world is coming, see the change
• Riverfront Towers