Albert Kahn is one of Detroit’s most well-known and prolific architects. His significant architectural contribution can be felt throughout the State of Michigan with a rich concentration of structures interlacing the fabric of Detroit. During this tour, Heidi Pfannes (founding member of the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation) will discuss the considerable impact Albert Kahn’s life and work had on the City of Detroit. This tour will explore multiple Albert Kahn buildings which vary in architectural style and function. The team will address the innovations in construction and building techniques developed by Kahn’s firm. The session will also identify several recent restorations of Albert Kahn buildings and the innovative ways in which practitioners have approached the preservation of these exceptional buildings while addressing sustainability. Laura Mitchell and Jennifer Elmore from Kraemer Design Group will join the discussion.
Buildings on the tour will include:
The Detroit Golf Club- Clubhouse designed by Albert Kahn, begun in 1916 but due to wartime construction delays was not completed until May of 1918.
New Center Historic District – Cadillac Place (Neo Classical / completed in 1923) which was General Motors HQ until 2002, The Fisher Building (Art Deco / completed in 1928) known as “Detroit’s Art Object, and the Albert Kahn Building (Art Deco / completed 1931) a successful residential conversion project and recently renovated.
The Detroit Free Press Building – (Art Deco Style / Completed in 1925) recently renovated for residential conversion, and
The Detroit Athletic Club – (Completed in 1915 / Renaissance Revival Style). Two of Detroit’s most impressive current downtown edifices—the Detroit Athletic Club and the Police Department headquarters on Beaubien—reflect what Kahn saw in Italy after visiting in 1912.
