  Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 455 Registered: 02-2006 |
Ziggaurts are bad for your health. Didn't anyone see "Thank You For Not Smoking"?  <313> | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1127 Registered: 11-2003 |
Rbdetsport-- Restoring the top of the mechanical penthouse to its correct height wouldn't have detracted from or affected the ziggurats. The top of the penthouse was distinctive in its own right. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 289 Registered: 09-2006 |
Was just walking along the Windsor riverfront at noon and looking at the Detroit skyline, The Book looks absolutely great from afar now that its been washed, new windows, roof ,ziggaurts and some of the improvements are being installed,. Looks like a real gem. | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 173 Registered: 10-2006 |
I would still kill to see the original cornice replaced, After the investment thats already invested you'd think it'd just be a drop in the bucket and one that would make an already great project just that much better. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5110 Registered: 08-2004 |
Does the lower mechanical penthouse lower the "official" height of the building? Seems that most building heights don't include mechanical. Since it's not plainly visible from either Michigan or Washington Blvd., it shouldn't affect the skyline view of it from those streets. As for why they did that... one would assume that a lot has changed in technology since 1924, and perhaps they didn't need the extra height for elevator clearance, or whatever else it was used for. And as for historic tax credits.... perhaps mechanical areas of buildings are exempt from the restrictions put upon by those credits. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1128 Registered: 11-2003 |
Well, I guess that regarding the top of the penthouse and the big upper cornice, at least there's always a chance that they will replaced someday. Whereas, if the building had been torn down, restoring those things would definitely never happen! | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1222 Registered: 10-2003 |
the big change in mechanical designs in buildings has to do with fire suppression. in the first half of the century technology was not to a point where generators and/or pumps could sufficiently provide coverage on the upper floors of buildings. the solution was to locate giant tanks of water on the roof (usually in towers) so that gravity could feed the water to sprinklers on every floor. this also negated the need for a generator in case the power went out. today technology is sufficient and efficient enough to pump water to all reaches of the building. thus, the giant tanks are no longer needed and can be removed. (ref. broderick tower. the towers in the hudson's and metropolitan building also housed these types of tanks) in very general terms there are two different types of historic tax credits that can be utilized: exterior/facade and interior. exterior dictates that you restore the facade to historical appearance (generally going back fifty years, not necessarily when the building was originally constructed). where you cannot exactly replicate and/or restore elements, historically sympathetic/corresponding elements can be applied for. thus, if the proportions are similar the dimensions do not have to be exactly the same. this is also limited to the distinctive elements of a facade which don't always include service elements like a mechanical penthouse (ref. lafer building mechanical penthouse). for the interior you have to renovate the public areas of the building to accurate styles, but more importantly, have them remain in their current location. these areas include, but are not limited to, lobbies, ballrooms, hallways, etc. these areas do not include service areas such as mechanical penthouses. (this was the reason why the statler could not utilize interior credits: keeping the hallways in their location would have made the remaining space on either side uneconomical.) | ||
Wschnitt Member Username: Wschnitt Post Number: 31 Registered: 07-2007 |
I was there today and they were putting cornice on maybe the 20th story, they were starting on the Griswold side. | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 202 Registered: 10-2006 |
is that dust problem people complained about solved? | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 59 Registered: 10-2006 |
Here are some recent pics of the addition to the Book-Cadillac. http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1262259993&size=l http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1263115518&size=l I believe that the portion currently under construction (pictured) will house a restaurant or two, and perhaps the hotel kitchen. The NE corner of the addition (in the background, with the crane and backhoe) will house the pool, health club/spa, and the largest ballroom/conference room. (Message edited by beantown on August 28, 2007) | ||
Llyn Member Username: Llyn Post Number: 1858 Registered: 06-2004 |
Thanks for the pics BT. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 5226 Registered: 08-2004 |
I would love to see an architectural drawing of the new larger ballroom. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1553 Registered: 10-2006 |
"The NE corner of the addition (in the background, with the crane and backhoe) will house the pool, health club/spa, and the largest ballroom/conference room." Interesting. I sort of left the corner of the block out of my mind in the overall project. Will there be windows overlooking Capitol Park? | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 60 Registered: 10-2006 |
The large ballroom/conference room in the building addition will be on the second floor (above the pool and fitness center), and will have vaulted ceilings that extend into the third floor plan. I'm guessing and hoping that it will have windows looking NE into Capitol Park - that would be outstanding! I'll try to get another peek at that floorplan... | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 61 Registered: 10-2006 |
Here is a photo taken from Capitol Park that shows the north penthouse tower still under re-construction and the south penthouse tower whose exterior looks complete. http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=1329792544&size=l If you look carefully you can see the difference in shade between the old bricks and the new. The intricate, brick-by-brick details are amazing considering the massive overall scale of the project. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1142 Registered: 11-2003 |
What's the squarish brick protrusion atop the Shelby St. wing? It's definitely new construction-- apparently was excepted from historic tax credit rules because it houses mechanical equipment? | ||
Beantown Member Username: Beantown Post Number: 62 Registered: 10-2006 |
Good catch, Burnsie! In the original building layout, there were only elevators under the two mechanical penthouses visible in the picture - freight elevators near the NE corner and the main hotel elevators on the south side (front) of the building. The new building layout includes an additional elevator on the Shelby St. side that will be for condo resident use only. So I believe your presumption of mechanical equipment under that brick protrusion is correct, although I do not know if it will end up looking the way it does now once construction is complete. | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 620 Registered: 03-2006 |
interesting rendering of the griswold from capitol park http://thegriswold.com/gallery /11.jpg | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2060 Registered: 06-2006 |
how can that be Capitol Park? Do you see any crackheads and some bums sitting under the trees? I don't | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 1035 Registered: 11-2003 |
I thought it was Northville, what with all the pretentious twenty-something know-it-alls. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2063 Registered: 06-2006 |
strike a nerve, did I? just calling it like I see it...for whatever reason, they gravitate to that park in particular... | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 10118 Registered: 10-2003 |
People waiting on the bus and crackheads are all the same to some. | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 1036 Registered: 11-2003 |
Well, you know...they all look alike...to some. | ||
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus Post Number: 2065 Registered: 06-2006 |
lol | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1664 Registered: 10-2006 |
Apbest, I find it interesting that the 'back side' actually looks a lot like the front. Not typical of Detroit style architecture for a side which technically faces an alley. (Not a citicism, just an FYI) | ||
Wschnitt Member Username: Wschnitt Post Number: 36 Registered: 07-2007 |
Does anyone have any new pictures of the B-C? I go to U-M Ann Arbor so it is hard for me to get there to see it for myself. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 934 Registered: 11-2004 |
There was some confusion earlier about the size of the addition. A new rendering on the B-C's website shows it'll be three stories not five http://www.starwoodhotels.com/ westin/property/overview/index .html?propertyID=3001 Also checking out the meetings & weddings section, I noticed that the Grand Ballroom will be renamed Venetian Ballroom. The new ballroom in the addition will be call the Woodward Ballroom | ||
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city Post Number: 411 Registered: 04-2006 |
Pictures from Friday, September 28 2007: http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070082.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070085.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070086.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070087.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070092.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070104.jpg http://downtownmotown.8k.com/R ainyChicago/2007_0928DetDev09_ 28_070094.jpg | ||
Apbest Member Username: Apbest Post Number: 628 Registered: 03-2006 |
that detail on the second to last picture looks awesome, if only they were replacing the historic cornice | ||
Scruffy Member Username: Scruffy Post Number: 17 Registered: 04-2007 |
From the last photo of the Griswold site you can see them laying the caissons for its foundation. |
