#MICHIGAN DATA GUARDIAN FULL#

The brick’s custom color was later marketed by the manufacturer as “Guardian Brick.” Polychromed terra cotta on the upper stories was purposefully over-scaled to be seen by motorists on the street below. The exterior of the Guardian Building is faced with stunning tangerine colored bricks resting on a granite base. Visitors are awestruck by the explosion of color, craftsmanship and blending of Native American, Aztec, and Arts & Crafts influences. In fact, the Guardian Building was once promoted as “the Cathedral of Finance.” Its grandeur was, and still is, unconventional. The building’s taller north tower and smaller octagonal south tower are connected with a nave-like block similar to the plan of a cathedral. The Guardian Building is one of the most significant and striking Art Deco skyscrapers in the world. The building became known as the Union Guardian Building and today is known as the Guardian Building. The Union Trust Company fell victim to the crash, but was saved by investors who believed in the future of Detroit and was reorganized into the Union Guardian Trust Company.

The building was completed in early 1929 – the year of the Stock Market Crash.

#MICHIGAN DATA GUARDIAN FULL#

With the design for the Union Trust Building completed in March 1927, a full city block was cleared to make way for the 40-story skyscraper. His most brilliant contribution to Detroit’s skyline is the Union Trust Building. While working for Smith Hinchman & Grylls, Wirt Rowland played a key role in the design of many prominent Detroit buildings, including the Buhl Building, Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, and the Penobscot Building expansion. The Union Trust Company commissioned the architectural firm of Smith Hinchman and Grylls to design their headquarters, and they turned the task over to head designer Wirt C. It was in this era that a newly organized banking group – the Union Trust Company – was anxious to communicate their public image through their flagship headquarters and new offices.

In the 1920s, the city of Detroit was a worldwide industrial and commercial hub, and the city grew with unprecedented prosperity. Rowland to create a building like no other. The Roaring Twenties were the backdrop for the renowned architect Wirt C.

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