Design
The Detroit City Hall was designed in the Renaissance revival architectural style (styled in a jumble of Renaissance styles including that of the French and Italian), and was built with mainly stone. The building took 10 years to complete, mostly due to restrictions of material during the Civil War, but much had to do with city politicians fighting over the bids and contracts. The tower was reportedly built very poorly, and was plagued by problems its entire existence.
The building was essentially a 'book end' for the old Wayne County Building that was on the other end of Campus Martius.
The building featured sculptures, commissioned by city resident and Michigan pioneer Bela Hubbard, of Fr. Gabriel Richard, Antoine Cadillac, Fr. Jacques Marquette and Sieur de LaSalle created by Julius T. Melchers and John Donaldson. When the building was demolished the statues were saved and moved to the campus of Wayne State University.
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Marquette
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Cadillac
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LaSalle
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Richard
The clock tower itself featured four, 14-foot stone maidens on its cornice representing justice, industry, art and commerce.
Read more about this topic: Detroit City Hall
Famous quotes containing the word design:
“Nowadays the host does not admit you to his hearth, but has got the mason to build one for yourself somewhere in his alley, and hospitality is the art of keeping you at the greatest distance. There is as much secrecy about the cooking as if he had a design to poison you.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“To nourish children and raise them against odds is in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons.”
—Marilyn French (20th century)
“What but design of darkness to appall?—
If design govern in a thing so small.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)