Leaving Detroit

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (17.4mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO200)

Another day in Detroit. This time the focus was on architecture.

On Sunday I walked around the centre of the town but the distance in between some of the famous buildings is huge and so we chose to go by car. That’s by far the best mode of transportation in the US anyway.

First was an abandoned train station. The last train left this station about 30 years ago. Unfortunately there is no way to enter the building. Ford bought it and planned to have their electric car innovation centre there. They will spend about 740 million dollars to renovate the more than 100 year old train station and some other buildings nearby. But today this was just another closed door for us.

We had better luck with the next one: The Fisher Building.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (12.6mm, f/4.5, 1/850 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (24mm, f/5.6, 1/110 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/4, 1/2000 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16.6mm, f/5.6, 1/15 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (15.9mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO800)

The Fisher building is a true landmark. It is breathtaking! It’s a reminder of the glorious past of Detroit. Designed by the industrial architect Albert Kahn. He designed Ford’s “The Rouge” factory and many other car factories of Detroit. Most of those buildings are industrial ruins or do no longer exist at all.

The Fisher building is still there and even though it looks like a museum it is full of life. Well, by Detroit standards.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (18.2mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (13.8mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (16.6mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (13.2mm, f/5, 1/30 sec, ISO1250)

The material, the details, the colours. This is such a beautiful building in all its opulence. You don’t know where to look at first. Fantastic!

In a book store in the building I talked with the sales guy. He said that he loves the Fisher building too but prefers the Guardian building. Our next destination.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (13.2mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO2000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/30 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/4.5, 1/15 sec, ISO400)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (50mm, f/2, 1/160 sec, ISO1000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (11mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO640)

So expectations were high when I went there but for me there is no comparison. The Guardian Building is impressive too and its style is unique. And it’s accessible. There is a big lobby with a very high ceiling that feels like a cathedral and a stairway that leads to the main room behind a gate with a beautiful watch.

It is impressive and colourful but somehow it looks like it’s made of Lego stones.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5, 1/15 sec, ISO800)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (19.1mm, f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/8, 1/280 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/5.6, 1/210 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (12mm, f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO200)

And finally we landed in the lobby of this beautifully designed building from which we later learned that it was designed by the Minoru Yamasaki. The architect that designed the famous World Trade Centre in New York. I mean the twin towers not the new one. This building is beautiful too and very similar but of course much, much smaller.

The images above show the lobby and in this shot from my Sunday walk the day before it is the white building in the upper left corner.

My wife always wants to visit the tourist information where ever we go. She knew that there was a tourist info and I searched for it on my iPhone. We were just there but we couldn’t see it. It took us a couple of minutes to realise that it is upstairs and that you have to take an elevator in a lobby to get there.

It was a strange place and I had the impression that the city authorities just asked a normal company to put some maps and city guide books in their office lobby. They were clearly not used to tourists. But I read that lonely planet ranks Detroit as the number two city in the world to visit. So better get used to tourists, tourist info!

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (11mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (13.8mm, f/8, 1/220 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/8, 1/80 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (20.9mm, f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO200)

Before we came here I was a little worried. Because there is another list where Detroit is in second place. It’s the list of the most dangerous cities in the USA. Here Detroit is only second to St. Louis. Even my US colleagues didn’t think it is a good idea to come here.

But I’m glad that we came here. Detroit was one of the highlights of the trip. A great city where you can feel its glorious past on every corner and where you already get an idea about its great future.

FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (10mm, f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO200)