Detroit-37

By Ashland Thomas

Piece description from the artist

A pedestrian bridge connects the Guardian Building and One Woodward Avenue in Detroit's Financial District.
Guardian Building (formerly Union Trust Building) | 1929, Wirt Rowland
One Woodward Avenue (formerly Michigan Consolidated Gas Company Building) | 1962, Minoru Yamasaki

The Guardian Building, known as "The Cathedral of Finance", is one of the most significant and striking Art Deco buildings skyscrapers in the world. Featuring Art Moderne designs, the building was boldly and untraditionally colorful; clad in tangerine colored brick and Polychrome terra cotta, and blending Native American, Aztec, and the Arts & Crafts movement inside & out, Wirt Rowland explained that “We no longer live in a leisurely age…the impression must be immediate, strong and complete. Color has this vital power.” Reaching 495 ft, this is currently Detroit's 8th tallest tower. In 2007, the building was purchased by Wayne County and serves as the headquarters to the Wayne County government. This move prompted the building's spectacular lobby to be opened back up to the public again. It was made private while Michigan Consolidated Gas owned the property.

One Woodward Avenue is an International Style skyscraper designed to blend the Civic Center and the Financial District visually. This was the architects first skyscraper, who later went on to design the original World Trade Center twin towers in NYC. In 2016, Fifth Third Bank opened their new regional headquarters in the building, now dubbed Fifth Third Bank Building at One Woodward. The pedestrian bridge connecting the two towers was added in the 1980's during MichCon's ownership of both properties.