Skyscrapers are not supposed to look like this. The Guardian Building, completed in 1929 in downtown Detroit’s Financial District, explodes with color — orange brick, green and gold terra cotta, Pewabic and Rookwood tiles, and a vaulted lobby painted in a kaleidoscope of Art Deco pattern that earned it the nickname the Cathedral of Finance.
Designed by architect Wirt C. Rowland for the Union Trust Company, the 40-story tower blended Aztec and Native American motifs with modern geometry in a way no office building had before. It survived bank failures, served as a military coordination center during World War II, and is now a National Historic Landmark and the headquarters of Wayne County.
The best part for visitors: the ground-floor lobby and its stunning Tiffany-style clock and Monel metal screen are open to the public during business hours. Find it at 500 Griswold Street — and don’t forget to look up.
