Category: Architecture
Posted by Michael Hodges (The Detroit News) on Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 8:15 PMCity of lights: Detroit at night
As has been noted, ArchBlogger has finally mastered -- manfully, he would like to say -- the art of the tripod and the shutter-release delay. This has enabled him to tackle a longtime ambition: nighttime photogaphy.
A.B. was out running around downtown several Sundays ago, on an evening that turned slightly balmy. The results follow below. A few of the pictures, if blown up very large, might not be crystal-sharp. A.B. did not note until late in the evening that the wind -- which was really gusting -- slapped A.B.'s camera strap all over the place. So even though the camera was duly affixed to tripod, he thinks the strap managed to jostle things all the same. He apologizes.
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The main branch of the Detroit Public Library, right across from the DIA in the city's grand example of City Beautiful planning. The library, by the way, is the only Detroit work by New York City architect Cass Gilbert, who also designed NY's Woolworth Tower and the U.S. Supreme Court building.
The mosaic tile work at the top of the arches is Pewabic, A.B. is told from one who ought to know.
A light on Washington Boulevard: the Westin Book-Cadillac glows like a gemstone at night, bringing at least some life to the moribund, if beautiful, thoroughfare. At this point, A.B. would like once again like to tip his hat to Cleveland's Ferchill Group, who took on the challenge of renovating a ruin of a building that had been vacant for decades in a city few others would bet on. Happily, they're said to be discussing other developments on the boulevard.
Who knew if the shutter exposure was slow enough that you'd catch the red, green AND yellow lights?
Detroit's nifty new central bus depot, at Cass and Michigan Avenues. Designed by New York City's Parsons Brinckerhoff firm, which handles a lot of urban infrastructure projects.
A.B. still thinks the MGM Grand Casino Hotel looks a lot like a toaster (thanks to his distinguished colleague Ray Stanczak for this insight), and he'd still like to know why they couldn't have done something better with the boxy mechanicals on the roof. Still, at night, it packs a little punch. By Hamilton Anderson Associates and SmithGroup, both of Detroit, and California-based Archavision.
The Penobscot at night -- lit up by a dramatically simple scheme that takes advantage of the Art Deco tower's setbacks and geometry. Wayne State's Jerry Herron, who now heads the Honors College but for years was the chair of American Studies, says flatly that the Penobscot lighting is the best example of real urbanism in Detroit. By Gary Woodall at Ann Arbor's Gary Steffi Lighting Design -- a tiny firm that seems to have done just about every big lighting project in Michigan from the Penobscot to the Michigan Capitol inside and out.
And finally we close with a mediocre shot that raises the question, "So -- London, Paris or Detroit?" The Wayne County Courthouse building -- now empty, or almost, as the county transfers its staff to the Guardian Building, which it recently bought. By Detroit architect John Scott, who also designed several of the houses on Ferry Street east of Woodward, including the central house at the uber-gorgeous Inn on Ferry Street, 84 East Ferry.
