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This Michigan skyscraper earned the nickname Cathedral of Finance for a reason

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Detroit, Michigan - February 16, 2020: Detroit Michigan Guardian building interior design.
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Detroit’s Cathedral of Finance

Downtown Detroit’s Financial District has plenty of towers, but nothing else looks quite like this one. The Guardian Building climbs 40 stories into the sky, and its outline gives it away before you even reach the door.

A tall tower rises above a wide, nave-like base, and the whole structure reads like a great cathedral. People started calling it the Cathedral of Finance for that reason.

Step past the orange brick facade, though, and the real show is waiting inside.

Built in 1929, this Art Deco-style skyscraper was designed by Wirt C. Rowland and Smith, Hinchman and Grylls for the Union Trust Company, and was originally known as the Union Trust Building, later being renamed the Guardian Building. The building was one of the first in the world to feature automatic push-button elevators, and Monel metal fixtures, metal elements, and metal fittings. The building housed the Union Trust Company until 1932, when it went into receivership due to unsustainable growth during the 1920s economic boom and the impact of the Great Depression. The building housed various office tenants after the demise of the bank, including the United States Army Command Center for wartime production during World War II, and became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in 1982, which led to the restoration of the exterior and interior of the building, with the company remaining in the building until it merged with DTE Energy in 2001, after which it was sold to Sterling Group in 2002. The building features a 36-story section that runs parallel to Griswold Street between a 40-story tower at the northern Congress Street end of the building, which rises to 496 feet (151 meters) above the street, with a spire that soars to 632 feet (192 meters), and a 38-story tower at the southern Larned Street end of the building. The extieor is clad in red brick with decorative polychromatic terra cotta trim with geometric motifs, red granite and limestone cladding at the base with large arched windows into the former main banking hall, a recessed main entrance with decorative polychromatic trim on the half-dome ceiling and ziggurat-shaped window bays, a large arched window bay trimmed with polychromatic terra cotta on the Congress Street facade, Monel metal flagpoles with decorative bases, and carved sculptural reliefs of figures on the Griswold Street facade. Inside, the building’s main lobby features a colorful polychromatic tile ceiling with octagonal and rectangular tiles, ziggurat vaults, abstract geometric forms, decorative metal elevator doors, stained glass windows, a tile mosaic behind the front desk with a ziggurat-shaped tree, limestone-clad walls, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a large Monel metal screen at the entrance to the banking hall, red marble trim at the stone stairs, a clock at the entrance to the banking hall, stone steps to the banking hall and the current Wayne County Commission chambers below, stone floors with ziggurat motifs, and decorative pendants at the elevators. The banking hall features a vaulted ceiling with arched openings and decorative polychromatic panels, a large map of the state of Michigan at the south end of the space in a large arched blind bay with symbols of the state’s various industries, stone floors, stone-clad walls, decorative ziggurat motifs on the pillars, walls, and floor, and a large Monel metal screen at the entrance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is a contributing structure in the Detroit Financial District Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wayne County Government, and became the home of their offices and chambers in 2010, when they were moved from the Old Wayne County Building nearby. The building today houses the offices and chambers of the Wayne County Government, as well as several other office tenants.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

Born in Detroit’s Roaring Twenties

The building went up fast, finished in 1929, the same year the stock market crashed and took much of the country down with it.

The Union Trust Company built it as their flagship headquarters, and they hired architect Wirt C. Rowland of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls to design it.

Crews cleared a full city block downtown just to make room for the tower.

Six decades later, in 1989, the National Park Service named it a National Historic Landmark, the highest honor the agency hands out.

Built in 1962 and 1929, these two excellent skyscrapers from different periods are excellent examples of the Modern International style and the Art Deco style, respectively.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

Spot the Famous Guardian Brick

You can spot the Guardian Building from blocks away because of its skin.

The exterior wears custom orange bricks made just for this project, a warm tangerine shade you won’t find on any other skyscraper in the country.

The brickmaker liked the color so much that afterward, the company started selling it under its own name, Guardian brick.

Granite and stone form the base beneath all that orange, grounding the tower before it climbs 40 stories toward the sky.

DETROIT, MI, USA - NOVEMBER 10: Guardian Building and The Qube on November 10, 2020 in downtown Detroit, Michigan.
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Color Made to Catch Your Eye

Architect Wirt Rowland had strong opinions about buildings.

He believed a structure had to grab your attention right away, so instead of plain gray stone, he covered the Guardian Building in colored brick, stone and terra cotta.

Near the top, he had the terra cotta detailing made oversized on purpose, so drivers and pedestrians far below could still make out the patterns.

Rowland once said color carried a vital power to catch the eye, and this building proves he meant it.

Built in 1929, this Art Deco-style skyscraper was designed by Wirt C. Rowland and Smith, Hinchman and Grylls for the Union Trust Company, and was originally known as the Union Trust Building, later being renamed the Guardian Building. The building was one of the first in the world to feature automatic push-button elevators, and Monel metal fixtures, metal elements, and metal fittings. The building housed the Union Trust Company until 1932, when it went into receivership due to unsustainable growth during the 1920s economic boom and the impact of the Great Depression. The building housed various office tenants after the demise of the bank, including the United States Army Command Center for wartime production during World War II, and became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in 1982, which led to the restoration of the exterior and interior of the building, with the company remaining in the building until it merged with DTE Energy in 2001, after which it was sold to Sterling Group in 2002. The building features a 36-story section that runs parallel to Griswold Street between a 40-story tower at the northern Congress Street end of the building, which rises to 496 feet (151 meters) above the street, with a spire that soars to 632 feet (192 meters), and a 38-story tower at the southern Larned Street end of the building. The extieor is clad in red brick with decorative polychromatic terra cotta trim with geometric motifs, red granite and limestone cladding at the base with large arched windows into the former main banking hall, a recessed main entrance with decorative polychromatic trim on the half-dome ceiling and ziggurat-shaped window bays, a large arched window bay trimmed with polychromatic terra cotta on the Congress Street facade, Monel metal flagpoles with decorative bases, and carved sculptural reliefs of figures on the Griswold Street facade. Inside, the building’s main lobby features a colorful polychromatic tile ceiling with octagonal and rectangular tiles, ziggurat vaults, abstract geometric forms, decorative metal elevator doors, stained glass windows, a tile mosaic behind the front desk with a ziggurat-shaped tree, limestone-clad walls, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a large Monel metal screen at the entrance to the banking hall, red marble trim at the stone stairs, a clock at the entrance to the banking hall, stone steps to the banking hall and the current Wayne County Commission chambers below, stone floors with ziggurat motifs, and decorative pendants at the elevators. The banking hall features a vaulted ceiling with arched openings and decorative polychromatic panels, a large map of the state of Michigan at the south end of the space in a large arched blind bay with symbols of the state’s various industries, stone floors, stone-clad walls, decorative ziggurat motifs on the pillars, walls, and floor, and a large Monel metal screen at the entrance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is a contributing structure in the Detroit Financial District Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wayne County Government, and became the home of their offices and chambers in 2010, when they were moved from the Old Wayne County Building nearby. The building today houses the offices and chambers of the Wayne County Government, as well as several other office tenants.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

Step Into the Three-Story Lobby

The outside only hints at what waits for you inside.

Walk through the doors and you land in a lobby that soars three stories overhead, vaulted like a church nave and covered in color from floor to ceiling. Most people stop cold the first time they look up.

The design mixes Native American, Aztec and Arts and Crafts influences into one space, and the craftsmanship stretches across nearly every surface you can see, from the tile underfoot to the painted ceiling above.

Art Deco style architecture in Detroit, Michigan
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Handmade Tile From Michigan Kilns

Look up in the entrance and you’ll find a dome covered in colorful Rookwood tile, packed with bold geometric patterns and rich, saturated color.

Pewabic Pottery, a Detroit company, made the tile that fills the lobby’s vaulted ceiling, working closely with Rowland to get the designs right.

Artist Mary Chase Perry Stratton collaborated with the architect on the patterns you see today. Together they turned a functional ceiling into one of the most photographed spots in the whole building.

Detroit has always hustled harder
Wikimedia Commons/MaxGiglePhoto

A Glass Mosaic Over the Lobby Desk

Above the main lobby desk hangs a mosaic you won’t be able to walk past without looking twice.

Michigan artist Ezra Winter designed the glass artwork, and it’s usually one of the first things people notice once they step inside. The mosaic pictures a pine tree alongside a message tied to the building’s purpose.

Small glass pieces catch the light differently depending on where you stand, which is part of why visitors tend to linger under it longer than they planned.

Built in 1929, this Art Deco-style skyscraper was designed by Wirt C. Rowland and Smith, Hinchman and Grylls for the Union Trust Company, and was originally known as the Union Trust Building, later being renamed the Guardian Building. The building was one of the first in the world to feature automatic push-button elevators, and Monel metal fixtures, metal elements, and metal fittings. The building housed the Union Trust Company until 1932, when it went into receivership due to unsustainable growth during the 1920s economic boom and the impact of the Great Depression. The building housed various office tenants after the demise of the bank, including the United States Army Command Center for wartime production during World War II, and became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in 1982, which led to the restoration of the exterior and interior of the building, with the company remaining in the building until it merged with DTE Energy in 2001, after which it was sold to Sterling Group in 2002. The building features a 36-story section that runs parallel to Griswold Street between a 40-story tower at the northern Congress Street end of the building, which rises to 496 feet (151 meters) above the street, with a spire that soars to 632 feet (192 meters), and a 38-story tower at the southern Larned Street end of the building. The exterior is clad in red brick with decorative polychromatic terra cotta trim with geometric motifs, red granite and limestone cladding at the base with large arched windows into the former main banking hall, a recessed main entrance with decorative polychromatic trim on the half-dome ceiling and ziggurat-shaped window bays, a large arched window bay trimmed with polychromatic terra cotta on the Congress Street facade, Monel metal flagpoles with decorative bases, and carved sculptural reliefs of figures on the Griswold Street facade. Inside, the building’s main lobby features a colorful polychromatic tile ceiling with octagonal and rectangular tiles, ziggurat vaults, abstract geometric forms, decorative metal elevator doors, stained glass windows, a tile mosaic behind the front desk with a ziggurat-shaped tree, limestone-clad walls, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a large Monel metal screen at the entrance to the banking hall, red marble trim at the stone stairs, a clock at the entrance to the banking hall, stone steps to the banking hall and the current Wayne County Commission chambers below, stone floors with ziggurat motifs, and decorative pendants at the elevators. The banking hall features a vaulted ceiling with arched openings and decorative polychromatic panels, a large map of the state of Michigan at the south end of the space in a large arched blind bay with symbols of the state’s various industries, stone floors, stone-clad walls, decorative ziggurat motifs on the pillars, walls, and floor, and a large Monel metal screen at the entrance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989 and is a contributing structure in the Detroit Financial District Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wayne County Government and became the home of their offices and chambers in 2010, when they were moved from the Old Wayne County Building nearby. The building today houses the offices and chambers of the Wayne County Government, as well as several other office tenants.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

The Painted Banking Hall

Ezra Winter’s work doesn’t stop at the mosaic. He also painted a grand mural inside the old banking hall, one that highlights Michigan industries like farming, mining and manufacturing side by side.

Above the mural, the ceiling is hand-painted canvas stretched over horsehair, a trick that softened the sound of a busy banking floor decades ago.

The hall shows how the building balances art with function, since even the acoustics got the same careful attention as the artwork.

Built in 1929, this Art Deco-style skyscraper was designed by Wirt C. Rowland and Smith, Hinchman and Grylls for the Union Trust Company, and was originally known as the Union Trust Building, later being renamed the Guardian Building. The building was one of the first in the world to feature automatic push-button elevators, and Monel metal fixtures, metal elements, and metal fittings. The building housed the Union Trust Company until 1932, when it went into receivership due to unsustainable growth during the 1920s economic boom and the impact of the Great Depression. The building housed various office tenants after the demise of the bank, including the United States Army Command Center for wartime production during World War II, and became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in 1982, which led to the restoration of the exterior and interior of the building, with the company remaining in the building until it merged with DTE Energy in 2001, after which it was sold to Sterling Group in 2002. The building features a 36-story section that runs parallel to Griswold Street between a 40-story tower at the northern Congress Street end of the building, which rises to 496 feet (151 meters) above the street, with a spire that soars to 632 feet (192 meters), and a 38-story tower at the southern Larned Street end of the building. The extieor is clad in red brick with decorative polychromatic terra cotta trim with geometric motifs, red granite and limestone cladding at the base with large arched windows into the former main banking hall, a recessed main entrance with decorative polychromatic trim on the half-dome ceiling and ziggurat-shaped window bays, a large arched window bay trimmed with polychromatic terra cotta on the Congress Street facade, Monel metal flagpoles with decorative bases, and carved sculptural reliefs of figures on the Griswold Street facade. Inside, the building’s main lobby features a colorful polychromatic tile ceiling with octagonal and rectangular tiles, ziggurat vaults, abstract geometric forms, decorative metal elevator doors, stained glass windows, a tile mosaic behind the front desk with a ziggurat-shaped tree, limestone-clad walls, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a large Monel metal screen at the entrance to the banking hall, red marble trim at the stone stairs, a clock at the entrance to the banking hall, stone steps to the banking hall and the current Wayne County Commission chambers below, stone floors with ziggurat motifs, and decorative pendants at the elevators. The banking hall features a vaulted ceiling with arched openings and decorative polychromatic panels, a large map of the state of Michigan at the south end of the space in a large arched blind bay with symbols of the state’s various industries, stone floors, stone-clad walls, decorative ziggurat motifs on the pillars, walls, and floor, and a large Monel metal screen at the entrance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989, and is a contributing structure in the Detroit Financial District Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wayne County Government, and became the home of their offices and chambers in 2010, when they were moved from the Old Wayne County Building nearby. The building today houses the offices and chambers of the Wayne County Government, as well as several other office tenants.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

Sculptures Guarding the Front Door

Before you even step through the Griswold Street entrance, two stone sculptures greet you on either side of the door.

Detroit sculptor Corrado Parducci carved them, and they represent Safety and Security, fitting themes for a building that once housed a bank.

Above the entrance, a semi-circular tiled dome crowns the doorway, matching the color and pattern you’ll find once you’re inside.

The details start before you’ve even crossed the threshold, which tells you what the rest of the building has in store.

Built in 1929, this Art Deco-style skyscraper was designed by Wirt C. Rowland and Smith, Hinchman and Grylls for the Union Trust Company, and was originally known as the Union Trust Building, later being renamed the Guardian Building. The building was one of the first in the world to feature automatic push-button elevators, and Monel metal fixtures, metal elements, and metal fittings. The building housed the Union Trust Company until 1932, when it went into receivership due to unsustainable growth during the 1920s economic boom and the impact of the Great Depression. The building housed various office tenants after the demise of the bank, including the United States Army Command Center for wartime production during World War II, and became the headquarters of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company in 1982, which led to the restoration of the exterior and interior of the building, with the company remaining in the building until it merged with DTE Energy in 2001, after which it was sold to Sterling Group in 2002. The building features a 36-story section that runs parallel to Griswold Street between a 40-story tower at the northern Congress Street end of the building, which rises to 496 feet (151 meters) above the street, with a spire that soars to 632 feet (192 meters), and a 38-story tower at the southern Larned Street end of the building. The exterior is clad in red brick with decorative polychromatic terra cotta trim with geometric motifs, red granite and limestone cladding at the base with large arched windows into the former main banking hall, a recessed main entrance with decorative polychromatic trim on the half-dome ceiling and ziggurat-shaped window bays, a large arched window bay trimmed with polychromatic terra cotta on the Congress Street facade, Monel metal flagpoles with decorative bases, and carved sculptural reliefs of figures on the Griswold Street facade. Inside, the building’s main lobby features a colorful polychromatic tile ceiling with octagonal and rectangular tiles, ziggurat vaults, abstract geometric forms, decorative metal elevator doors, stained glass windows, a tile mosaic behind the front desk with a ziggurat-shaped tree, limestone-clad walls, a barrel vaulted ceiling, a large Monel metal screen at the entrance to the banking hall, red marble trim at the stone stairs, a clock at the entrance to the banking hall, stone steps to the banking hall and the current Wayne County Commission chambers below, stone floors with ziggurat motifs, and decorative pendants at the elevators. The banking hall features a vaulted ceiling with arched openings and decorative polychromatic panels, a large map of the state of Michigan at the south end of the space in a large arched blind bay with symbols of the state’s various industries, stone floors, stone-clad walls, decorative ziggurat motifs on the pillars, walls, and floor, and a large Monel metal screen at the entrance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989 and is a contributing structure in the Detroit Financial District Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. In 2007, the building was purchased by the Wayne County Government and became the home of their offices and chambers in 2010, when they were moved from the Old Wayne County Building nearby. The building today houses the offices and chambers of the Wayne County Government, as well as several other office tenants.
Wikimedia Commons/w_lemay

A Screen Made of Rare Metal

Inside, a large ornamental screen separates the lobby from the old banking hall, and it’s not made from the brass or bronze you’d expect. Rowland chose Monel metal instead, a rarer and more durable choice for the era.

A clock designed by Tiffany sits right in the center of the screen, drawing the eye as you pass through.

Architects took notice of Rowland’s choice, and the same Monel metal later showed up in New York’s Chrysler Building.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - September 16 2023: Art Deco style decoration in the lobby of a building
Shutterstock

Marble Shipped in From Three Continents

Marble shows up everywhere you look once you start paying attention.

Italian Travertine lines the steps and walls throughout the lobby, while deep red Numidian marble, imported all the way from Africa, adds a bolder splash of color in other spots.

Even the corridors and restrooms get the treatment, finished in marble shipped in from Tennessee.

All that stone adds warmth to a building that could have felt cold and institutional, and instead feels rich at every turn.

DETROIT, MI -10 NOV 2018- View of the interior of the Guardian Building (formerly Union Trust), a landmark Art Deco tower, designated as National Historic Landmark, in Downtown Detroit, Michigan.
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A Temple Built by Michigan Hands

None of this happened by accident or by outside hands.

About 40 artisans worked on the murals, tile and mosaics that fill the building, and Michigan architects, contractors and craftsmen built the entire structure from the ground up.

People around Detroit often call it a temple of Michigan skill and pride, and once you’ve walked through it, that description makes sense.

Every surface, from the orange brick outside to the marble underfoot, reflects the hands that built it.

Detroit, Michigan - Sep 25, 2022: Street level view of the landmark skyscraper Guardian Building in downtown Detroit, Michigan at the intersection of Griswold and Congress Streets. Built in 1928.
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Visiting the Guardian Building in Michigan

The Guardian Building sits at 500 Griswold Street in downtown Detroit, in the heart of the Financial District and close to other downtown sights.

The lobby stays open to the public and costs nothing to walk through, so you can wander in, look up at the tile dome and take your time with the mosaic without paying a dime.

If you want more than the lobby, local tour companies run guided, behind-the-scenes visits that get you into areas most walk-in visitors never see.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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