Aia Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture [Paperback]

Eric J. Hill (Author), John Gallagher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0814331203 | ISBN-13: 978-0814331200 | Publication Date: November 2002

A beautifully designed resource that takes readers on a tour of greater Detroit's many architectural wonders and special landmarks.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

With its sleek look and easy-to-use layout, this completely new guide to Detroit architecture provides a fresh, in-depth look at the city of Detroit itself as well as a number of distinctive environments outside the city proper. Like it predecessor, "Detroit Architecture: AIA Guide," "AIA Detroit" is an authoritative yet highly readable account of a wide range of structures and urban spaces. Organized as a series of walking (or driving) tours beginning with the Downtown area, the guide moves north, west, and east to explore the city's many districts and neighborhoods, and then takes a look at the special environments of the Grosse Pointe Lakeshore, the Cranbrook educational community, the GM Technical Center, and Ford's Dearborn. Photographs of each site and numerous useful maps throughout help readers visualize the locales. "AIA Detroit" serves as a much-needed tool in uncovering and navigating the city's rich architectural heritage for citizens, tourists, and architecture students alike.

Product Details

• Paperback: 371 pages
• Publisher: Wayne State University Press (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814331203
• ISBN-13: 978-0814331200
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #992,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable. I'm stunned., February 8, 2008

By 

Jon L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aia Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture (Paperback)

Let me share a quick anecdote. The last time I was in Detroit was in 1991. What I saw there so depressed me that I wrote the city off as an urban-industrial wasteland, a veritable dystopia. A few years ago I moved to Houston. While Houston certainly isn't a pretty city, I've always told myself, "Well, at least it's not as bad a Detroit."

This guide proved me wrong on both points: Detroit is a treasure-trove of marvelous 19th and early-20th century American urban architecture (albeit, much in disrepair). And while far more prosperous, Houston is, in fact, a very unattractive large American city, save the few remaining structures (perhaps a dozen) by Staub, Watkin, Cram and Finn. Sorry to irritate all my Houstonian friends, but it's true.

Ecclesiasticus! The catalog of beautiful historic churches and cathedrals ALONE is worth the price of the book. Then there are the old skyscrapers and the public buildings (such as the Art Institute). Written in standard AIA format with about 400 exceptionally well-chosen entries, this book will feel familiar to all architecture lovers who've ventured into buying one (or many) of these expensive guides. You're collection is incomplete without this one, if only for the fact that it documents one of the most important and impressive collections of American urban architecture in existence. Many of the most important architects of the late 19th and early 20th centuries worked in Detroit, and most of their work remains. One thing to keep in mind is that the book features more public and institutional architecture than residential, but important residential sites are included.

The book format is perfect. The sites are well chosen and the coverage is comprehensive. The descriptive essays are brief, but concise. Each entry also includes a group of symbols to indicate its listing on specific landmark registers, and a simple symbol to indicate the structure's condition and public access. Very nice feature.

The photography is all monochrome, but the views are good and reveal the buildings well. There are even a few interior shots. Simple maps, introductory essays and architect biographies round out this benchmark entry in the AIA-sponsored series. The book includes excursions to Cranbrook and Grosse Pointe, but includes only one entry for Hamtramck.

Detroit is still a poor and dangerous city (thanks to a completely incompetent government), but the building stock is enough to inspire a revival. And it's all still there waiting to be discovered! This guide is valuable for the architectural historian, preservationist, and armchair traveler. It may even inspire you to take a trip to old Motown for a visit!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough and entertaining, July 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Aia Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture (Paperback)

This book covers virtually every building of note within the city limits, and many in the suburbs as well. Each building is photographed and its history and usage are described. The author is willing to criticize where he sees fit. An excellent read!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive guide to Detroit Architecture, April 9, 2003

By 

Robert Collarini (Brighton, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aia Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture (Paperback)

Thoroughly researched, this book is a must have. Patterned after the W. Hawkins Ferry book I had decades ago as a student, this book updates and adds significant content about the rich architectural history of Detroit.
The writeups are informative from both a building and historical context. I loved the descriptions, such as from the Guardian Building (my favorite), "a lightning bolt of spirited inventiveness".
Take this book with you as you stroll downtown and you'll find new treasures, like the Water Department building.

Excellent!