What It's Like Inside An Art Deco Skyscraper
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- The Guardian Building has been a key part of Detroit's history since its construction in 1929. It was a built at time when the city was thriving and when buildings were as much art as they were structures. In this short tour, we'll go through a few parts of the Guardian Building's to see what it's like a building from this era.
This video features music in the public domain and should be stream friendly. Please let me know if you have any issues with content id/claims.
Music In Order of Appearance:
Uno Mas - Airmen of Note (United States Air Force Band)
Chapter 9: Just Blue - Pacific Showcase (United States Air Force Band)
Sheridan Square - Airmen of Note (United States Air Force Band)
Other Videos To Check Out
For Other Videos About Art Deco Buildings In Detroit:
• Detroit Icons
My Video About The History of The Guardian Building:
• The History of The Gua...
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:43 The Lobby
3:10 The Banking Area
6:05 The 6th Floor Boardroom
8:11 32nd Floor & The Roof 
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Art Deco was the last period when architecture followed great art traditions. Please preserve these treasures; they won't appear again if they are defaced or demolished.
I wish we could return to building places people can be proud of and care about. Even the smaller two story buildings on the average main street in a small town often had more charm and artistic flair than the wasteland of strip malls and cheap aluminum and steel clad commercial buildings that litter the landscape of today.
@Strideo1 in the last five years several buildings in NY and Chicago have returned to Art Deco style.
It’s a bit more existential actually.
@@Strideo1 Well-said, and a long-overdue insight. I cannot bring myself to believe that people actually are content to live amidst all of the architectural ugliness that we have cultivated for the past eighty years or so--they must just generally not believe that any alternative is possible. I've gone about my own State photographing many of those small-town main streets which you make mention of, as I find it terribly sad to think that many such beautiful buildings as you describe will crumble to dust or fall to the wrecker having been largely overlooked and unappreciated for the last decades of their existence.
People used to pour their souls into their art. As we have eclipsed our own souls with blind materialism and hubris, our "art" has unfortunately reflected that shift.
@@sinnerseekingsalvation779 Thanks so much for the reply! It's good to hear from others that feel the same way.
I grew up in Detroit in the 1960's, when downtown Detroit was continuing its 'downward slide.' I had summer jobs at Hudson's and in other downtown buildings. But I never saw the inside of the Guardian Building until 50 years later when I returned on a tour of Detroit in 2016. We visited this building and I was floored at the beauty of the architecture of this and many other buildings downtown. As a kid growing up, I didn't appreciate that because of the auto industry, Detroit had once been a world-class city with fine art and architecture anywhere you looked.. What I knew in the 60s, was that the city felt unsafe and that people were leaving it. I'm glad Detroit has and is experiencing a renaissance in recent years.
The Aztec influence is quite noticable in the interior design.
It was really surprising to me. It's unlike the many art deco buildings I've been in in NYC.
I'm from Indonesia. I visited the building in 2018 because I stayed in a hotel nearby, without knowing about the history.
Very impressive. I remember entering the lobby and saw the whole decorations I've never seen before.
Thank you for sharing this information...
Actually, in the Netherlands art deco had a lot of Indonesian influences. There is the Tuschinski cinema and Scheepvaarthuis that are more American style exuberant, but there is also what is often called art deco in brick, of the "Amsterdamse school", used a lot for social housing.
ruclips.net/video/PmM1RyQ2crE/видео.html
@@DenUitvreter wow.. Never heard about this influence before.
@@adicahya I think it's typical for the optimistic but rather condascending mindset of that era, the Dutch working class had to be elevated by beautiful and good housing, most of Amsterdam were slums in the late 1800's. And the Dutch thought of themselves of elevating the whole Indonesian people in a similar way, while holding a romanticized 'tempo doeloe' view of the Indonesians and admiring lots their culture, it was during the days of investing in Indonesia and building schools and stuff, rather than just the exploitation of 70 years before. It might have been one-sided, but their was a genuine love for Indonesia.
I loved this video as I was an architect for 29 years and have had a near lifelong fascination and love for the Guardian Building. It truly is one of Detroit's architectural treasures.
Hi Daniel what do you think of modern architecture like modernism and brutalism?
Fabulous! For ten years I lived in a gorgeous Art Deco apartment building. I never took it for granted. I felt so lucky to live there.
Been in the Guardian building and it is *amazing*. Note: There are a few other buildings with details of similar quality also in downtown Detroit. Detroit’s art museum is likewise world-class. People forget that as the center of the auto industry for a very long time, Detroit had cash to spare to pay high-skilled labor to create such gorgeous buildings with these handcrafted details. Absolutely stunning.
Craftsman really took pride in their work. And this artistry was appreciated by the public at large.
I worked and banked in that building in the mid 1970s. The lobby is really impressive in person. Go out of your way to see it.
Great video. To people who’ve only heard bad things about our city, Downtown Detroit is really a different place than it was 30 years ago. It’s really quite nice.
We visited Detroit a few years ago and loved it! Looking forward to visiting again soon.
A world class gem. I hope you cover other parts of this magnificent building. The interiors could not be decorated to the same standards these days
This video deserves way more attention.
I absolutely love Detroit’s art deco architecture!! Thank you so much for your videos!
It’d be nice if one day you could get exclusive looks at buildings after they finish them up. I love the tours of Detroit!
That would be pretty cool! I’m definitely hoping to cover some of the newer projects going on right now as well
Backseat Detroit Tours is great for a in-person experience of Downtown.
Im in training to be a City Tour Detroit guide (Store & tours are in the Lobby of the Guardian!)…your History video & this one are so appreciated and were very helpful in giving me the ability to talk authentically and intelligently about the buildings history, its role in Detroit and affect of the closing of the Union Trust Bank on National Banking rules / holidays as well as its colorful architecture and beautiful design. Thank you for taking the time to do the research and create these educational and interesting videos! 😊
My father worked for Michigan Bank, later Michigan National Bank, for which the Guardian Building was the HQ and main branch for decades. He worked there for about 20 years before his department moved to a drab suburban location in the 70's. I worked a couple of summers for the Bank's Buildings and Properties department. We fixed and moved things at various branches and operations in Metro Detroit. When the Bank relocated its HQ to Oakland County, I was part of the team that removed the massive vault from the Guardian Building. We did it late at night on a Friday in 1982. I have no idea exactly how much it weighed, but it was several tons for certain. We rolled it out of the building using logs, believe it or not. Just as you see in old timey films, we moved a log forward once the vault had cleared it. The vault was winched out to the street, and craned on to a flatbed truck. It took until dawn. Absolutely one of the craziest work experiences I've ever had. I knew it was the Guardian Building just by your thumbnail. It's that unforgettable. One topic you didn't cover is a piece of Detroit lore, likely apocryphal: the unequal height of the two towers represents a traditional Great Lakes freighter, with a taller forward house and a shorter aft house.
Beautiful building the Gaurdian building vary classic in design.
So glad Detroit saved this and many other fabulous buildings. We went there twice and have yet to catch a tour. I know NOT to go on weekends as many wedding venues take place there. Maybe third time will be a charm. Also a wonderful tour is the Fisher Building!
Well done! Outsiders just don’t understand, even though much has been lost, how truly special our town is.
How stunning, and the historical stories make it all the better!
Art Deco needs to make a comeback.
my dad worked in the Guardian in the early 2000's. he worked for the Smith group or S H and G. you talked about S H and G in your store about the Penobscot building. i spent a lot of Saturday in side the Guardian building, the wild colors of the stone dont show up in pictures. i remember i snuck in to the close off bridge that connects the Guardian building to the wayne country building.
What an enjoyable video. I began my architecture career working ins a small firm in the Buehl Building across the street from the Guardian. I enjoyed sneeking across the street to enjoy the lobby, bvut I hadn't seen the sixth and top floors until this video.
One important thing that I think you missed in the interior tour were the elevator cabs ( I think they remain intact). I recall the lobby elevator doors and the cab interiors being exquisitely detailed in the style of the building. The elevators of the Chrysler building in Manhattan are justly revered, but I feel the Guardian elevators are at least as impressive. I hope you didn't miss them or that they didn't get cut from the video for time/length.
Nice job.
Jack R. Taipala, AIA
I love glossy colored tiles, and it was a definitely prevelant art and design feature for buildings in Detroit, as this can be found throughout even Detroits most basic housing. Detroit is one of the most beautiful places in the world if you know where to look.
I really hope that someday, somehow, there is a revival of everything old. Artforms like Art Deco architecture should not be lost simply because they became 'outdated'.
Amazing how this American "Art Deco" is unique and very different from European.
The native American motives that are organic in shapes and colors are really near a more modern European "Art Nouveau".
Imo American "Streamline" style (Chrysler Building NYC) is more near european "Art Deco").
A lot of Maya influence, especially the corbel arches and color palette. Very cool!
Ive been inside and it’s stunning. Love it outside and inside. A site to see
Spectacular! It's worth a trip to Detroit. Thanks so much for posting this.
I love it , I have never seen inside, thank you, thank you , thank you. I love art deco , there has never been a more complete styled look again .......as you showed from the vents to the shape of every thing. Thanks again.
This was fricken awesome!!
Today's world is busy with information overload , people automatically look Beyond these buildings without thinking . But once a person stands still any amount of time they begin to say" wow" !... Rookwood Pottery still in Cincinnati and the 1932 Art Deco District especially the Deco train station is awesome !!!!
This is so great! Keep up the excellent work! Really great to see our beautiful architecture explored like this!
Your attention to detail is phenomenal. Great video. This buildings interior reminds me, vaguely, of the Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, and it’s twin across the river, the Palacio Salvo, in Montevideo. The former is inspired by purgatory in that you cannot ascend directly from the basement to the viewing room on the last floor, without first transferring elevators in three distinct mezzanines. It also preserved the creek that it was built over, by building a channel of painted tiles to direct it through the basement floor. This kind of artistry in architecture is dead 😭
So beautiful. Thanks 😊
Wonderful building and let’s hope it is preserved forever. Nothing is built to this level of detail anymore. Bare concrete seems to dominate now.
Im in training to be a City Tour Detroit guide (Store & tours are in the Lobby of the Guardian!)…your History video & this one are so appreciated and were very helpful in giving me the ability to talk authentically and intelligently about the buildings history, its role in Detroit and affect of the closing of the Union Trust Bank on National Banking rules / holidays as well as its colorful architecture and beautiful design. Thank you for taking the time to do the research and create these educational and interesting videos!
I wish I could live in there, with only those who are aligned with the same goals and frequency.
At completion this was known as"The Cathedral of Commerce",and so MANY red bricks were ordered and shipped-in for its construction,that there was now a color dubbed:"Guardian Red"!!
In Wilkes-Barre PA, there on the Main Square is the PNC Bank Building. In the banking lobby, sculpted into the columns, are figures of men as if they are holding up the heavy weight . Among them are coal miners and woodsman. Coal and Lumber made Wilkes-Barre rich at one point in time.
Thank you for showcasing this gorgeous example of Art Deco. I really appreciate what you have done and am now subscribed to your channel to see more! Thanks again.
Beautiful interiors.
A Deco delight. Check out the Kimo Theater in Albuquerque New Mexico!
Gorgeous building. The colors, the motifs, the craftsmanship. Wow.
I love art deco!!
Are you saying it's no longer a bank in the lobby? You mentioned "retail space". .. i was there in 2008 (i believe) and the banking employees then were very tolerate of me gawking at the first floor. lol
As enamored of art deco as i was, i hadn't been aware of either this or Penobscot, so it was a great surprise and treat to see them in person.
Thanks for giving me a peak at the upper floors too!
Very enjoyable. Thank you. The COLOR! Just wow!
Absolutely gorgeous
Great video, love to see more tours of Detroit landmarks! Was it difficult to get access like that?
Actually wasn’t too difficult because they saw my previous work. A lot of people are eager to have people show off Detroit so they’re fairly welcoming. Thanks for the interest!
Wow, I love the Mayan/aztec influence
Thank you so much for sharing this architectural wonder…… I grew up going to Radio City Music Hall in NYC, at least for a movie, and the spectacular Christmas show….. I fell in love with Art Deco & Art Moderne….. still my favorite styles and eras!
Thanks for this eye popping tour!
Fantastic, in both senses. Thank you.
Thanks for this. I agree with the others that this deserves more views, perhaps tweaking thumbnail/title/description to massage the algorithm?
There’s definitely some work that could be done! I’m trying to find the right way to go about all of this both for past and future projects. Just happy to find people who find all of this interesting
Aztec design. It gives me a "Shining" vibe. Creepy.
Fascinating ~ thanks for the tour and history !
Really enjoyed the history. Love art deco. Thank you
Thank you for making this video 💛
i fell like art deco and south weat native american art have a lot in common. so much so that if there was ever the idea to make a fantsy desert sky scrapper we have a style that could easily be pulled from
Thanks for this. I've seen plenty of exteriors but this interior just blew me away.
Great stuff. Thank you.
Well done. That is an amazing looking building. Ty for sharing
And I actually felt the background music was appropriate and enjoyable not annoying
Beautiful and amazing!
Your videos are amazing! :)
This is an incredible building!!
Lovely video
WOW! How amazing.❤
Thank you kind Sir
Wow this is very beautiful
Thanks, I really enjoyed this video, but just to say, I could do without the music in the background. Spectacular building!
Now THIS is what we need!
Great video
Have you done the Museum Center in Cincinnati? (Union Terminal) It's spectacular. The original "Hall of Justice" from the Justice League.
Awesome
The paintings are very similar to the paintings in Buffalo city hall, lot of similarities between them.
Its amazing!!! And should be restored. Hopefully on preservation list?
Thanks
Great video. Have you done the Book Tower now that its complete and open? Its beautiful.
This looks like the Marine Building in Vancouver.
The early forms of Art Deco(Art "Moderne") were influenced by some ancient cultures- specifically Ancient Egypt(King Tut's tomb had recently been discovered in the 1920's) and Aztec/Mayan civilization. This building's interiors seem clearly influenced by the latter, with strong geometric angles & glazed tile work.
Wow
It's very much using South American Temple architectural themes, notice also the very many skull motifs. That is a very weird building, not sure if I like it. It is quite stunning though.
Chicago hosts an annual "Open House Chicago" where building owners open these treasures for the public.
I am not used and discover...we learn at any age.
No place like it in the world. Jaw dropping.
Should be classified as one of the wonders of the world
I thought I knew what art deco looked like. I guess not, this looks southwestern to me
Live art deci era
It's very Aztec-Expressionist
I hate the fact that many beautiful buildings got demolished.
The background music is a distraction. Either remove it or turn the volume way down. Otherwise, an excellent video.
is it safe to visit this area of detroit?
It'd be nice if those ugly blue tiles were removed and that window was restored. I mean what the hell were they thinking
Society has neither the time nor money to fool around with beauty. Back then, every building was unique. It was like every architect was in an art contest. That era is long gone & long dead. Buildings today look like our cars. SAME profile. Building are all glass & mirrors. Gutless, soulless & built so that you don't even take the time to turn your head towards them.
A building like a DMT trip
Answer: Only every time I go to downtown Detroit.
Thank god we didn't tear it down - like they did everything else
This is not an Art Deco building. It is a Maya Revival Building, a similar yet separate architectural style.
They are extremely similar, I wasn't even aware of such a style popping off in the 1920s and 30s other than art deco. What separates the 2?
They are very similar and were present at roughly the same time. The key difference is that Maya Revival uses motifs from several pre-columbian, Mesoamerican cultures. (i.e. Aztec, Maya, Toltec...) The style was not widespread with it mostly being concentrated in Southern California. Several FLW houses in LA are done in the Maya Revival style. The Ennis House by FLW is featured in media quite a bit. Most famously in Blade Runner, GOT, and more.@@meltedicecreamsandwich
😃👍🏼👊🏼
Red, Blue and Green colours were later used in Television screens….