January 27, 2011
Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Michigan… revisited. Change in buildings is nearly universal and commercial buildings are forever metamorphic. The Pontchartrain is an interesting case in that aphorism. Sent to an early grave and old beyond her years, she struggled to adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing city. The last time we visited her, the Pontch was a perfect example of Renaissance Revival architecture. Now we see her sometime after the addition of another five floors in 1916, looking very Second Empire. As Stewart Brand author of How Buildings Learn described it, commercial buildings tend to change more kaleidoscopically than their slowly morphing residential sisters. Got that right! Too bad the makeover didn’t buy her more time. The Pontch was demolished four years later.

Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Michigan… revisited.

Change in buildings is nearly universal and commercial buildings are forever metamorphic. The Pontchartrain is an interesting case in that aphorism. Sent to an early grave and old beyond her years, she struggled to adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing city. The last time we visited her, the Pontch was a perfect example of Renaissance Revival architecture. Now we see her sometime after the addition of another five floors in 1916, looking very Second Empire. As Stewart Brand author of How Buildings Learn described it, commercial buildings tend to change more kaleidoscopically than their slowly morphing residential sisters. Got that right! Too bad the makeover didn’t buy her more time. The Pontch was demolished four years later.

10:32am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmmWyx2mMax2
(Notes: 5)
  
Filed under: Detroit Second Empire 
December 17, 2010
Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Michigan. The clock started ticking on this architectural beauty when it opened its doors in 1907. At the time, most grand hotels still used shared baths. But less than 10 years later the Detroit Statler opened just four blocks up Woodward Avenue with en suite baths for all 1,000 rooms (and central air-conditioning… reportedly the first hotel in the country to have this). After only 13 years, the Hotel Pontchartrain was demolished to make way for the First National Bank Building.

Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, Michigan.

The clock started ticking on this architectural beauty when it opened its doors in 1907. At the time, most grand hotels still used shared baths. But less than 10 years later the Detroit Statler opened just four blocks up Woodward Avenue with en suite baths for all 1,000 rooms (and central air-conditioning… reportedly the first hotel in the country to have this). After only 13 years, the Hotel Pontchartrain was demolished to make way for the First National Bank Building.

(Source: shorpy.com)

5:45pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZmmWyx2CCcIG
Filed under: Detroit Renaissance Revival hotels 
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