The most interesting architecture in Detroit

Fisher Building

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; fisherbuilding.city

Designed by Albert Kahn in the late 1920s, the Fisher Building stands tall in Detroit's skyline, boasting unique Art Deco intricacies inside and out. The building was originally supposed to include three skyscrapers, but the Great Depression limited the project to one. Its website calls it “a beacon for Detroit,” and “a symbol of a proud past and promising future,” for the city. The building’s interior features the iconic Fisher Theatre, an arcade, a coffee shop, a full-service salon, clothing boutiques, office space, and more.

Fisher Building

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; fisherbuilding.city

Designed by Albert Kahn in the late 1920s, the Fisher Building stands tall in Detroit's skyline, boasting unique Art Deco intricacies inside and out. The building was originally supposed to include three skyscrapers, but the Great Depression limited the project to one. Its website calls it “a beacon for Detroit,” and “a symbol of a proud past and promising future,” for the city. The building’s interior features the iconic Fisher Theatre, an arcade, a coffee shop, a full-service salon, clothing boutiques, office space, and more.

Fisher Building

Fisher Building

Fisher Building

Fisher Building

Guardian Building

500 Griswold St., Detroit; guardianbuilding.com

This skyscraper in downtown Detroit’s financial district was built in 1928, and designed by Wirt C. Rowland. Its Art Deco design features colorful tilework, ceiling murals, and intricate details. The building, originally called the Union Trust Building, now offers modern office space for lease.

Guardian Building

Guardian Building

Sainte Anne de Detroit

1000 St. Anne St., Detroit; ste-anne.org

Founded in 1701, St. Anne is the second oldest operating parish in the country, tracing its origins back to French colonist Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac who founded Detroit. Amid violent tensions between Native Americans and the French settlers, the original log cabin that housed the parish was burned down. The church’s current structure, built in 1886, blends French Gothic and Romanesque Revival styles for a stunning interior.

Sainte Anne de Detroit

Fox Theatre

2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; foxtheatredetroit.net

Detroit’s Fox Theatre opened in 1928 as a flagship movie palace for the nationwide chain, becoming the largest theater in the city with over 5,000 seats. Architect C. Howard Crane’s design merges Egyptian, Indian, and Far Eastern influences, creating a mesmerizing ambiance for live performances. The theater ranked 15th in the nation and 16th in the world in Pollstar’s 2022 Year-End Rankings for Top 200 Theatres.

Fox Theatre

Fox Theatre

Penobscot Building

645 Griswold St., Detroit; penobscotbuilding.com

A product of 1928, the Penobscot Building, another Art Deco by the same architect as the Guardian, once reigned as one of Detroit’s tallest skyscrapers until the construction of the Renaissance Center. Its uniquely leveled peaks are recognizable, and its entrance is beautiful, making a great exterior.

Penobscot Building

Penobscot Building

Penobscot Building

The Masonic Temple

500 Temple St., Detroit; themasonic.com

Detroit’s Masonic Temple is the largest Masonic Temple in the world, constructed in the 1920s. George Mason’s design mixes Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance Revival elements, including three theaters, a Shrine building, a Chapel, and more, though it remains unfinished.

The Masonic Temple