Good Monday afternoon, everyone:

I thought I’d add a second stop to the stunning-architectural-interiors-of-Detroit tour. Hard to compete with the Fox Theatre, our first stop, but here’s the Guardian Building.

The Guardian Building, completed in 1929, was designed by Wirt C. Rowland of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls at the height of the Art Deco era. Countless artisans worked on the interior, including Mary Perry Stratton, founder of Pewabic Pottery. It reflected the sense of modernity that was redefining American architecture (a break from the more classical traditions of the early part of the century).

Stepping into the lobby of the building, you encounter about as spectacular a security desk as it is probably possible to construct, complete with a glorious mosaic mimicking the building’s profile:

Walk around the desk and you enter a cathedral-like lobby with mosaic-adorned arches, terrazzo floors, and a wrought-iron screen and encased clock:

Before getting on the elevator, try to remember that this is in fact an elevator lobby:

The “banking hall” features a mural map of Michigan:

The Fox, the Guardian. Enough architectural heritage for any city. But we’ll keep going.

Rip

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