The Book Building and Tower
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
A mishmash of styles, built a decade apart, the Book Building and Tower are an icon of Washington Boulevard Historic District. The Book Building began as a modest office building in 1917 paid for by the Book brothers. It was the first commercial space completed by famous Detroit architect Louis Kamper. In 1926, Kamper again designed the Book Tower addition, which became the tallest structure in Detroit at the time at 475 feet. However, it has been hailed as an odd piece of architecture since it was built, as it was the first skyscraper design for Kamper, who placed intricate Italian Renaissance details on a building too tall to be appreciated.
Images
Close-up of the details on the top of the Book Tower
An old postcard of the Book Building and Tower
The Book Building and Tower today
A close-up of the famous nude sculptures around the middle of the tower
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Paid for by the
Book brothers, real estate entrepreneurs and one of Detroit’s wealthiest
families, the Book Building started as a modest 13-story office building in
1917. It was the first major commercial space designed by renowned architect
Louis Kamper, who would go on to design many of Detroit’s iconic buildings. The
finished product was a beautiful Italian Renaissance building, but it just wasn’t
enough for the Book brothers. They controlled the majority of the real estate
on Washington Blvd and wanted to make the street replicate the grand boulevards
in Europe, but with the tallest skyscraper the city had ever seen, surpassing
all others being built at that time. 1
The Book Tower was constructed adjacent to the Book Building, and when it opened in 1926, it became the tallest building in Detroit at 475 feet. This was Kamper’s first skyscraper though, and architectural critics have not been kind to his design. He used the classic flourishing, ornamental details of the Italian Renaissance that he knew so well…on a building so tall that they couldn’t be appreciated. There are massive amounts of sculptural work set throughout the building, including a now-famous set of twelve nude women around the middle. Topped with a copper roof, the soft limestone exterior was not an ideal material choice for polluted city life. What’s more, he forgot to include a fire escape into the design, so it had to be slapped onto the outside, zig-zagging down the entire length of the building. 2
The Book Building and Tower were fortunate to be placed on Washington Boulevard, which proved to be a bustling success for Detroit (the Book brothers would have been proud), and this kept the building occupied for awhile even into the more troubled years for Detroit. However, for decades it has also passed through various owners who couldn’t seem to manage to stay out of debt, especially when it came to unpaid utility bills. In 2015, billionaire Dan Gilbert of Bedrock Real Estate Services bought an entire city block that includes the Book Building and Tower, with plans to create a mixed use of retail, office and residential tenants. 3
The Book Tower was constructed adjacent to the Book Building, and when it opened in 1926, it became the tallest building in Detroit at 475 feet. This was Kamper’s first skyscraper though, and architectural critics have not been kind to his design. He used the classic flourishing, ornamental details of the Italian Renaissance that he knew so well…on a building so tall that they couldn’t be appreciated. There are massive amounts of sculptural work set throughout the building, including a now-famous set of twelve nude women around the middle. Topped with a copper roof, the soft limestone exterior was not an ideal material choice for polluted city life. What’s more, he forgot to include a fire escape into the design, so it had to be slapped onto the outside, zig-zagging down the entire length of the building. 2
The Book Building and Tower were fortunate to be placed on Washington Boulevard, which proved to be a bustling success for Detroit (the Book brothers would have been proud), and this kept the building occupied for awhile even into the more troubled years for Detroit. However, for decades it has also passed through various owners who couldn’t seem to manage to stay out of debt, especially when it came to unpaid utility bills. In 2015, billionaire Dan Gilbert of Bedrock Real Estate Services bought an entire city block that includes the Book Building and Tower, with plans to create a mixed use of retail, office and residential tenants. 3
Sources
1. Austin, Dan. "Book Tower and Book Building." HistoricDetroit.org Website. Accessed July 30, 2016. http://historicdetroit.org/building/book-tower-and-book-building/
2. Robinson, Ben and Caitlin Brennecke. "Encyclopedia of Detroit: Book Tower." Detroit Historical Society Website. Accessed July 30, 2016. http://detroithistorical.org/learn/encyclopedia-of-detroit/book-tower
3. Thibodeau, Ian. "See Inside Detroit's Book Tower, Dan Gilbert's Newest Skyscraper." MLive.com Website. Published August 28, 2015. Accessed July 30, 2016. http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2015/08/detroits_book_tower_skyscraper.html