| Jump to bottom |
Fisher Building views, etc.
To Kevg below, in Troy -- ArchBlogger would be delighted if you posted the Fisher Bldg. image on your facebook page. Just credit A.B! Additionally, he would be THRILLED to see the view from your office. A.B.'s been wanting to find some up-high vantage points from which to document downtown in great light. You -- or anyone -- can reach A.B. directly at:
mhodges@detnews.com
And to the rest of you who have posted comments -- A.B. would like to thank and applaud you, since he knows the sign-up for this bulletin board is a bit like negotiating a maze. Cheerz, and keep looking up at buildings!
Siemens building
To Kevets II:
Well, you pretty much nail it on the head. It is a cheap little building that relies on a variety of cliched touches for its flash. Yet it's a reflection of the moribund state of commercial-office construction in this neck of the woods that this building seems GREAT compared to most of the alternatives.
There are, of course, some small, handsome projects here and there in the Detroit area. But man. Not many. ArchBlogger keeps his eye peeled. The bottom line, he thinks, is that you need a dynamic city center to stimulate architectural daring, or even a concern for quality. In the absence of that, a la Detroit, even suburban design seems to slump.
Cheerz, and many thanks for your kind remarks on el blogo.
Architecture school
To Sailin' Bob -- well, at least your daughter didn't pick the disappearing field of journalism. And while architecture is tied to the building cycle, which can involve some pretty low spots, at least construction is never going to vanish, as newspapers give some evidence of doing. On balance, ArchBlogger has always felt that there's a wide range of cool work one can do with a B.Arch or M.Arch, and that the curious and nimble will find their way. And he bet that describes your daughter, to whom he wishes the best of professional luck. And thanks to Sailin' Bob -- and all A.B.'s readers -- for plowing throug his ramblings.
Corktown
David -- Thanks so much for your intriguing history, below. I've always had the best opinion of Monsignor Kern, but it's even higher now.
Your account of the threat to Corktown from the Lodge Freeway reminds me a bit of the fate that nearly befell Brooklyn Heights. The Heights is easily one of the most adorable neighborhoods in all New York City, and with a spectacular view of Lower Manhattan across the East River right at the Brooklyn Bridge.
Robert Moses, the evil genius who built most of NYC's freeways, bridges and public housing, wanted to ram the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway right through the Height's early 19th-century fabric back in the 50s. (There are even a couple CLAPBOARD rowhouses from the late 1700s.)
Somehow, he was finally prevailed upon to stack the westbound and eastbound lanes, which hang off the Heights cliff in a most-satisfying fashion. One of the few times that Moses ever bent to popular will.
Thanks so much for your input. Don't let that be the last time we hear from you. -- ArchBlogger
Two Forgotten Woodward Gems
ArchBlogger would like to salute his eagle-eyed and loyal readers, below, for catching his mistake in calling this stretch of Woodward near the Davison Hamtramck rather than Highland Park. He knows far better than that, being a child of Detroit. Unfortunately, aging minds being what they are, he's afraid that mistake was a result of brain malfunction that he attributes to early-onset Alzheimer's. In any case, many many thanks!
Peterbo and Park
ArchBlogger would like to take his hat off to both Historyguy and Olderdetroiter, whose comments below provided a wealth of information that A.B. was unaware of.
In particular, it's exhilarating to learn that the mansion at Park & Peterboro, featured five or so items down on the blog, belonged to the notorious Scott. Well done Historyguy!
As always, if anyone would like to slap A.B. around in person, you can write him directly at mhodges@detnews.com.
In the meantime, keep talking up Detroit architecture!
Michael's downtown tour
Dear LG --
You're kind to write. The truth is, even as the Michigan economy collapses around our ears, much of downtown looks better than when I moved back here in 1991. And there's more, hopefully, on the way. While I don't much admire the outside of the Compuware Building, I credit the firm for moving from the leafy suburbs to downtown. And in the nearish future, Rock Financial -- which owns the Quicken network -- is also going to move from the western 'burbs to Campus Martius, adding another several thousand people to the downtown workaday population, which can only help.
What do you do in Seattle? I lived there 20 years ago. (And in fact, if you go to the second page -- I think -- of my architecture blog, www.detnews.com/architectureblog, you'll find a little essay on Seattle domestic architecture.)
If you see this and would like to continue to chat a bit, email me directly at mhodges@detnews.com. And thanks for reading The News!
- ArchBlogger
Architecture Blog May 2, 2008
Hey -- you make good points on the Booth and Scripps manses near Grand River and Trumbull. I knew the Scripps mansion was somewhere in the neighborhood, but had no clue as to the Booths. Thanks for the cool info.
| Jump to top |
