Book Tower
Encyclopedia
Book Tower is a 145 m 38-story
skyscraper in the Washington Boulevard Historic District
of Detroit, Michigan
. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance
-style building in 1916 as an addition to the original Book Building and finished a decade later. Designed in the Academic Classicism style, it is 475 feet (145 m) and 38 stories tall (not including two basement levels), with two mechanical floors at the top encasing the green copper
roof, a roofing style shared by the nearby Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
. Retail and gallery floors used to reside on the first and second floors, with businesses previously occupying the rest. The building is currently unoccupied.
in 1928. A taller Book Tower of 81 stories was to be built at the opposite end of the Book Building, but the Great Depression
cancelled those plans. The building contains a cartouche
by the Detroit architectural sculptor
Corrado Parducci
.
From its opening through the mid-1970s the Book Tower remained a prestigious address on Washington Boulevard. Like many structures in the city, its fortunes declined until 1988 when the owners defaulted on the mortgage. In 1989, Travelers Insurance, the principal mortgage-holder, took possession and sold the building to developer John Lambrecht who previously purchased and renovated the Cadillac Tower
a few blocks east. Lambrecht had similar plans for the Book Building and Tower, however his untimely death later that year brought things to a halt.
Lambrecht's widow attempted to manage the property and made some improvements, but she was unable to maintain momentum. On July 25, 2006, she sold the Book Tower to the Pagan Organization, a New York-based investment group. Pagan's early plans call for a renovation and conversion of both the Book Tower and Book building into a mix of retail, residential, and office units. The Pagan Organization created the Northeast Commercial Services Corp. to manage the building. Northeast Commercial Services Corp. filed for Chapter 11 protection Wednesday, May 24, 2007, after defaulting on its mortgage loan. The last tenant, Bookie's Tavern, closed its doors January 5, 2009, and moved to a new location downtown.
In November 2009, Key Investment Group of Clinton Township, Michigan
announced intentions to buy and renovate the building as a mixed use development with high rise residential units, office space, and retail. Weeks earlier, the investors revealed that they were looking to purchase the building from AKNO Enterprises of Vancouver
for a green renovation. In January 2010, Rosemarie Dobek, CFO of Key Investment Group, reported that the group is pursuing plans for a US$320 million green renovation to include the Book Tower and four other Detroit buildings.
Story
Story or Stories may refer to:*Story, a recounting of a sequence of events* Narrative* Bedtime story, a traditional form of storytelling, told to children to prepare them for sleep* Organization story, a narrative used in organization studies...
skyscraper in the Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District
Washington Boulevard Historic District is a multi-block area of downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is bounded by Washington Boulevard between State and Clifford streets. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Construction began on the Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
-style building in 1916 as an addition to the original Book Building and finished a decade later. Designed in the Academic Classicism style, it is 475 feet (145 m) and 38 stories tall (not including two basement levels), with two mechanical floors at the top encasing the green copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
roof, a roofing style shared by the nearby Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel
The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit is a restored historic skyscraper hotel In the Washington Boulevard Historic District of downtown Detroit, Michigan. Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style, and constructed as the Book-Cadillac, it is part of Westin Hotels and embodies Neo-Classical elements and...
. Retail and gallery floors used to reside on the first and second floors, with businesses previously occupying the rest. The building is currently unoccupied.
History
Named after the famous Book Brothers of Detroit, it was briefly the tallest building in the city until the completion of the Penobscot BuildingPenobscot Building
The Greater Penobscot Building, commonly known as the Penobscot Building, is a skyscraper and class-A office building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Rising 566 feet , the 47-story Penobscot was the tallest building in Michigan from its completion in 1928 until the construction of the Renaissance...
in 1928. A taller Book Tower of 81 stories was to be built at the opposite end of the Book Building, but the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
cancelled those plans. The building contains a cartouche
Cartouche (design)
A cartouche is an oval or oblong design with a slightly convex surface, typically edged with ornamental scrollwork. It is used to hold a painted or low relief design....
by the Detroit architectural sculptor
Architectural sculpture
Architectural sculpture is the term for the use of sculpture by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project...
Corrado Parducci
Corrado Parducci
Corrado Giuseppe Parducci was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early 20th Century works.-Early life and education:...
.
From its opening through the mid-1970s the Book Tower remained a prestigious address on Washington Boulevard. Like many structures in the city, its fortunes declined until 1988 when the owners defaulted on the mortgage. In 1989, Travelers Insurance, the principal mortgage-holder, took possession and sold the building to developer John Lambrecht who previously purchased and renovated the Cadillac Tower
Cadillac Tower
Cadillac Tower is a Beaux Arts skyscraper designed by the architectural firm of Bonnah & Chaffee located at 65 Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit, Michigan, not far from the Renaissance Center. The building's materials include terra cotta and brick. It was built in 1927 as the Barlum Tower and has...
a few blocks east. Lambrecht had similar plans for the Book Building and Tower, however his untimely death later that year brought things to a halt.
Lambrecht's widow attempted to manage the property and made some improvements, but she was unable to maintain momentum. On July 25, 2006, she sold the Book Tower to the Pagan Organization, a New York-based investment group. Pagan's early plans call for a renovation and conversion of both the Book Tower and Book building into a mix of retail, residential, and office units. The Pagan Organization created the Northeast Commercial Services Corp. to manage the building. Northeast Commercial Services Corp. filed for Chapter 11 protection Wednesday, May 24, 2007, after defaulting on its mortgage loan. The last tenant, Bookie's Tavern, closed its doors January 5, 2009, and moved to a new location downtown.
In November 2009, Key Investment Group of Clinton Township, Michigan
Clinton Township, Michigan
Clinton Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Michigan:*Clinton Charter Township, Michigan in Macomb County*Clinton Township, Lenawee County, Michigan*Clinton Township, Oscoda County, Michigan...
announced intentions to buy and renovate the building as a mixed use development with high rise residential units, office space, and retail. Weeks earlier, the investors revealed that they were looking to purchase the building from AKNO Enterprises of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
for a green renovation. In January 2010, Rosemarie Dobek, CFO of Key Investment Group, reported that the group is pursuing plans for a US$320 million green renovation to include the Book Tower and four other Detroit buildings.
Further reading
- Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, Architectural Sculpture of America, unpublished manuscript