Michigan Building

The Michigan Building is an office building and former theatre in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was constructed in 1925 and stands at 13 floors in height. It contains retail space, offices, and a parking garage.

The high-rise was constructed in the neo-classical architectural style, and is made primarily of limestone.

History

Michigan Theater
City	Detroit, Michigan
Country	United States
Architect	Rapp & Rapp
Owned by	John H. Kunsky
Capacity	4,050
Opened	1926
Closed	1976
Current use	Parking garage

The Michigan Theater was a theater in Detroit, Michigan, USA converted to a parking structure. It was built in August 1926 by the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp for Detroit philanthropist and movie theater owner John H. Kunsky. The theater's construction cost $5 million (equivalent to $62 million in 2008). With a seating capacity of 4050, the concert hall/movie house was one of the largest in Michigan. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the theater changed ownership several times. It was subsequently used for various events: in the 1960s a closed-circuit television provided views of Red Wings ice hockey games for those who could not attend the actual event in nearby Olympia Stadium, and in the 1970s the theater was a nightclub and concert venue for rock bands.

Upon its completion the Michigan Theater could seat 4,050 patrons (although theatre developer John Kunsky boasted 4,500 seats). The theater ceased operations after its last closing in 1976 under the name of The Michigan Palace. After the theater closed, the office tenants threated to leave unless they received adequate parking. To keep the tenants, the owner gutted and converted the theater into a parking structure.

The great arched window over the entrance is a false window, since the grand lobby is about 40 feet behind the window. This false window (largest of its kind in the country) has a curved back wall with over 50 ornate mirrors that used to reflect the former chandelier lights out towards the street. Although the tall narrow chandelier is gone, new lighting has been installed within the 5 story tall window chamber.

The Michigan Theater was closed and partially demolished in 1976. The main hall and lobby were demolished and converted into a parking structure. The theater could not be completely demolished and replaced by a parking structure because it is integral to the structure of the office building. The ornate plaster ceiling in the theater house (9 stories up) and grand lobby are still intact, as are parts of the mezzanine, and the 2nd and 3rd balcony foyers, and their staircases. The projection booth is also still intact. The Michigan Theater was built on the site of the small garage where Henry Ford built his first automobile (the garage was transported brick by brick to The Henry Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn).

The Michigan is featured in two films. In 8 Mile, the theater was used as the parking garage where the crew rapped before entering the Chin Tiki. A scene of The Island was shot there, as a part of a future Los Angeles. Multiple episodes of Detroit 1-8-7 have filmed scenes in the theater as well.

References

• Hauser, Michael and Marianne Weldon (2006). Downtown Detroit's Movie Palaces (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4102-8. 
• Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. 
• Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4. 

Preserve Me A Seat documentary

Preserve Me A Seat is an independent film produced by Jim Fields about the struggle to preserve the disappearing historical theaters of America. The Michigan Theater, along with other historical but endangered theaters (most prominently the late Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, which was demolished to make a parking lot) were documented in the film.

External links

• Google Maps location of Michigan Building
• Michigan Building details at Emporis.com
• SkyscraperPage.com's Profile on Michigan Buildings