[mzbk2l]

The threads here on the ruins of Detroit seem to be well received. Today the Detroit News ran a 33-photo slideshow of the buildings created by the man who designed much of Detroit's industrial infrastructure; Albert Kahn.

Interesting slideshow, if you're into that sort of thing (I am).

http://apps.detroitnews.com/apps/mul...y.php?id=14402


Cars go for a road test inside the Kahn-designed Packard plant in 1905. His innovative, sturdy, light, clean, spacious, efficient factory so excited and pleased the young automakers who were flocking to Detroit that they all rushed to order his new design. (Detroit News Archives)



AUDI AG Head of Design Stefan Sielaff admires the beauty of three Albert Kahn designed buildings in a row: The Fisher, The General Motors (now Cadillac Place) and The Argonaut, which is owned by the College for Creative Studies, in May 2009. (Brandy Baker / The Detroit News)

[2002Z4CSS]

Interesting photos.

[Keith Seymore]

Incredible. He was certainly prolific - he touched pretty much every "big name" building in the city.

I believe all are still standing (although the Packard plant and the Highland Park plant are/is vacant and badly deteriorated). From what I see all others are still in use.

Sidebar: there is a Pontiac in the picture of the Kales (Kresge) building (#21 of 33).



K

[Tom Vaught]

I have been inside quite a few of those buildings over the years:

Highland Park Plant, Fisher Building, General Motors Building, Detroit Athletic Club, The Rouge Complex, etc but there are a lot more of the buildings that I have not been in.

Thanks for the heads up and the link to the Slide Show. Will have to check out a few more places. A Remarkable man for sure, and his work is not just in the Detroit area.

Tom Vaught

Agree Keith, The Rotunda is not in the City of Detroit but was in Dearborn, Michigan before the fire destroyed it.

[Keith Seymore]

A quick Google search reveals he designed the Packard Proving Ground (located in Shelby Twp) as well -

Pics from a recent tour:

http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.ph...hlight=Packard

K

[mzbk2l]

If any of you are really, really into the history of the old factories in the area, check out the Old Car Factory thread archive:

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/78791.html

Warning: It will take hours (days?) to go through it all. I read through it and followed along on Google Earth - it's fascinating how many of them are still there, and how many (hundreds?) were designed by Kahn. I think his importance to the Detroit area becoming the world's motor capital is often under-appreciated.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people, and it makes some interesting reading for those who wonder what that building used to be before it became (Cadillac/Chrysler/freight company/abandoned).

[Keith Seymore]

Thanks, Mike.

I'll probably spend the rest of my life going through all that material....

K