Financial District Skyscrapers
Three in a row, Greater Penobscot Building (built 1928), One Detroit Center (1993) and Guardian Building (1929), representing two periods of skyscraper construction in Detroit. Penobscot and Guardian, built during the city's tall building boom of the late 1920s, were both designed by Wirt C. Rowland.
One Detroit Center is the tallest of the three buildings, though at 43 stories it has fewer floors than Penobscot's 47. Nevertheless, with 950,000 square feet, One Detroit has more floor space than Penobscot's 776,500.
At the time Penobscot was built, theaters and hotels were commonly air conditioned, but not office buildings. In fact, the Guardian Building was one of the first to have air conditioning, yet only the first 16 floors were included as the upper stories were considered far enough above the street that adequate amounts of clean air could be brought in through the windows.
In order to insure adequate light and ventilation for all its occupants, buildings were commonly designed in a "U", "H". "T", "O" or "E" shape. Penobscot, being large and nearly square, was given an "H" shape (primarily because it had to attach seamlessly to the existing 13-story Penobscot Building next door). Its neighbor to the north, The Dime Building (1912), is "U" shaped, with the opening facing the street. Penobscot's neighbor to the south, the Ford Building (1909) is also "U" shaped, but with the opening facing away from the street. Guardian, being long and narrow, has no need for a light court. One Detroit Center, owing to advances made in both lighting and air conditioning, has a large, square floor plan, uninterrupted by light wells, though some of its occupants may bemoan their assignment to an interior office with no view.
Trivia: When the 40-story Guardian Building was completed in 1929, its 150-foot flagpole sported a 48-star flag, as Hawaii and Alaska had yet to join the union. The original plan for One Detroit Center called for an adjacent, twin tower of identical design, to be called Two Detroit Center.
Financial District Skyscrapers
Three in a row, Greater Penobscot Building (built 1928), One Detroit Center (1993) and Guardian Building (1929), representing two periods of skyscraper construction in Detroit. Penobscot and Guardian, built during the city's tall building boom of the late 1920s, were both designed by Wirt C. Rowland.
One Detroit Center is the tallest of the three buildings, though at 43 stories it has fewer floors than Penobscot's 47. Nevertheless, with 950,000 square feet, One Detroit has more floor space than Penobscot's 776,500.
At the time Penobscot was built, theaters and hotels were commonly air conditioned, but not office buildings. In fact, the Guardian Building was one of the first to have air conditioning, yet only the first 16 floors were included as the upper stories were considered far enough above the street that adequate amounts of clean air could be brought in through the windows.
In order to insure adequate light and ventilation for all its occupants, buildings were commonly designed in a "U", "H". "T", "O" or "E" shape. Penobscot, being large and nearly square, was given an "H" shape (primarily because it had to attach seamlessly to the existing 13-story Penobscot Building next door). Its neighbor to the north, The Dime Building (1912), is "U" shaped, with the opening facing the street. Penobscot's neighbor to the south, the Ford Building (1909) is also "U" shaped, but with the opening facing away from the street. Guardian, being long and narrow, has no need for a light court. One Detroit Center, owing to advances made in both lighting and air conditioning, has a large, square floor plan, uninterrupted by light wells, though some of its occupants may bemoan their assignment to an interior office with no view.
Trivia: When the 40-story Guardian Building was completed in 1929, its 150-foot flagpole sported a 48-star flag, as Hawaii and Alaska had yet to join the union. The original plan for One Detroit Center called for an adjacent, twin tower of identical design, to be called Two Detroit Center.