The Guardian Building is a landmark 43-story office skyscraper in the Financial District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Built from 1928 to 1929, the building was originally called the Union Trust Building and is a bold example of Art Deco architecture and Art Moderne designs. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1989 and is currently owned by Wayne County.

Architecture

The main structure of the skyscraper stands 32 stories tall and is topped with two uneven spires. One spire extends for seven more stories. The building’s roof reaches 496 feet (151 meters), the top floor is 489 feet (149 meters), and the highest point of the spire is 632 feet (192.6 meters). Its nickname, "Cathedral of Finance," refers to its design, which includes a tower over the main entrance and an eight-sided area at the opposite end. This nickname also connects to New York City’s Woolworth Building, which was once called the "Cathedral of Commerce." Native American themes appear both inside and outside the building. Wirt C. Rowland, an architect from the Smith, Hinchman & Grylls firm, designed the building. It sits on a six-story base made of granite and stone, with two sculptures by Corrado Parducci on either side of the Griswold Street entrance.

Rowland oversaw the construction of the building’s exterior, which includes brick, tile, limestone, and terra cotta. The colored bricks he chose became known as “Union Trust Brick” and later as “Guardian brick.” Rowland also designed furniture for the bank’s offices and created tableware, linens, and waitress uniforms for a restaurant within the building.

The building’s three-story lobby has a vaulted ceiling and is decorated with tiles made by Pewabic and Rookwood. The curved domes on the outside are filled with Pewabic Pottery. Mary Chase Perry Stratton worked with Rowland to design the symbolic decorations. A Monel metal screen separates the lobby from the banking hall on the second floor. The screen has a clock in the center made by Tiffany. The lobby features artwork by muralist Ezra Winter, including a mosaic above the main desk and a mural at the end of the banking hall. The large mosaic shows a pine tree and text explaining the Union Trust Company’s purpose: “Founded on principles of faith and understanding, this building is erected for the purpose of continuing and maintaining the ideals of financial services which promoted the organization of the institution.” The mural highlights Michigan’s industries, such as manufacturing, farming, and mining. To reduce noise in the banking hall, its ceiling is made of cement plaster covered with a hand-painted canvas stretched over a layer of horsehair.

Innovations

The Guardian Building included new ideas in both its design and technology. The building's designer, Wirt Rowland, chose to use Monel metal instead of the usual brass and bronze for all visible metal parts on the building. This choice became popular later, especially in the Chrysler Building in New York. Rowland avoided traditional decorative methods and instead used colored materials such as brick, stone, and terra cotta arranged in geometric patterns on the building's inside and outside. The building's elevator system was the first to use technology that automatically stopped the elevator at the correct floor and opened the doors, tasks that were previously done by the operator.

William Edward Kapp, an architect from the firm Smith, Hinchman & Grylls, is known for the interior design work on the Guardian Building.

History

The skyscraper was built by the Union Trust Company, which was founded in Detroit in 1890 by Senator James McMillan, Dexter M. Ferry, and with investments from Russell A. Alger, Col. Frank J. Hecker, and Christian H. Buhl. During World War II, the Guardian Building was used as the U.S. Army Command Center for wartime production. The Guardian Building housed many businesses as an office building in downtown Detroit. In 1982, it became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company ("MichCon") after ANR Company sold MichCon in 1981. Under the leadership of President and COO Stephen E. Ewing, MichCon restored the lobby and vaulted ceilings on the first floor in 1986. The building remained MichCon’s headquarters, later renamed MCN Energy Group, until MCN merged with DTE Energy in 2001. DTE Energy sold the building to a local real estate developer, the Sterling Group, in 2002.

The Sterling Group spent $14 million to renovate the building and reopened the lobby to the public, which had only been available to employees after MichCon purchased the building.

On July 18, 2007, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced an agreement to buy the Guardian Building to move its offices from the Wayne County Building. This deal was part of a larger plan to purchase $33.5 million worth of real estate in downtown Detroit. The Guardian Building has become a souvenir item, like other Detroit skyscrapers.

Tenants

• SmithGroup
• Wayne County Departments: Buildings, Commission, Corporation Counsel, Department of Information Technology, Economic Development Corporation, Management & Budget, Economic Development, Wayne County Land Bank, Benefits, County Executive, Healthchoice, Health, Veterans Services, Prosecutors & Detectives, Personal/Workforce, Indigent Defense Services, Juvenile and Youth Services
• Detroit Transportation Corporation
• Detroit Land Bank Authority
• Guardian Cafe Featuring James Oliver Coffee
• Bank of America
• Huron Capital
• Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
• Eagle Security Services
• Federal Criminal Attorneys of Michigan
• Law Office of Sklar & Rataj
• Jacobs & Diemer
• Roncelli Construction Services
• Attorney Kenneth Sebree
• Wade Trim
• WSP
• Bajoka Law Group
• Guardian Store
• Green Room
• Crazy Gring
• Land Capital Ventures
• Law Office of Maria Mannarino
• Steingold Law Firm
• The Detroit People Mover
• City Tour Detroit
• The Monzo Group
• St. J Style
• Law Office of Nathan & Kamionski
• Pitts Law Firm

Gallery

• The Guardian Building displays the American flag above the Detroit Financial District
• The top of the Guardian Building shows The Qube located nearby
• Sculptures of Safety and Security stand on either side of the main entrance
• A half-circle-shaped dome covers the main entrance
• Monel metal gates are located in the basement area
• The lower lobby is visible
• A ceiling tile is part of the lobby design
• The banking hall is inside the building
• A lamp is placed in the elevator lobby
• The stairwell inside the Guardian Building is visible
• A pedestrian bridge connects the Guardian Building to One Woodward Avenue