Guardian Building

Identification

Map

Structure in general

Usage

Facts

• Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, the Guardian Building was designed by Wirt C. Rowland of the leading Detroit architecture firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls.
• Termed a "cathedral of commerce" and "one of the most exuberant Art Deco skyscrapers built in America," the Guardian Building was built for what was at the time Detroit's leading financial institution.
• The cathedral theme is emphasized on the exterior by the two towers at each end of the building connected by a somewhat lower navelike block. The theme is played out in the interior with the tall banking lobby designed as a nave with side aisles.
• A specially formulated orange brick, known as Guardian brick, clads the steel frame. Brilliantly colored terra-cotta, glazed tile, and gold-stained glass and metal decorate it inside and out.
• The Guardian Building was the world's tallest masonry structure when it was completed.
• This Art Deco piece is marked by American Indian and Aztec motifs.
• The south tower roof lies at 423'-10" above street level, plus 9'-8" to the structural top.
• The main roof at the 36th floors lies 396'-10" above street level, plus 4'-4.25" to the parapet wall.
• The north tower roof lies 482'-0" above street level, plus 13'-6" to the structural top.
• The flagpole rises 150'-0" from the north tower roof, making the tip height 632'-0".
• On the 32nd floor lies the Guardian Club Banquet Hall/Auditorium, which serves as a small conference center for up to 300 people.