Fisher Building vs The Kean Building

Fisher Building
The Kean Building

Comparing the Fisher Building and the The Kean Building is interesting because they both stand in Detroit, MI, and were completed within 3 years of each other, but they were designed by different architects.

This offers a unique glimpse at how rival designers approached projects in the same city during the same era.

Height
135m
Floors
30

Height & Size

Height
55m
Floors
16

The Fisher Building is clearly the larger tower of the two, both in terms of height and number of floors. It rises to 443ft (135m) with 30 floors above ground, while the The Kean Building reaches 180ft (55m) with 16 floors above ground.

Of course, each project may have faced different briefs or regulatory constraints, which we don't really know about and could also explain the outcome.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the Fisher Building and the The Kean Building were designed in line with the aesthetic conventions of the Art Deco style.

At the time, this style was at the height of its popularity. So both Albert Kahn Associates and Charles Noble followed what was in many ways expected of them, producing designs that fit comfortably within contemporary architectural norms, rather than breaking with convention.

Main use
Commercial

Uses

Main use
Residential

The Fisher Building is primarily commercial, while the The Kean Building is primarily residential.

The The Kean Building offers 49 residential units.

The Fisher Building also provides 964 parking spaces.

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

Structure & Facade

Structure
Facade

These two towers illustrate the many possible ways to combine structure and enclosure in skyscraper design.

Fisher Building The Kean Building
Albert Kahn Associates Architect Charles Noble
1927 Construction Started 1930
1928 Year Completed 1931
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Commercial Current Use Residential
30 Floors Above Ground 16
135 m Height (m) 55 m
20 Number of Elevators 2
Limestone Main Facade Material Brick
MI State MI
Detroit City Detroit
3011 W. Grand Blvd. Address 8925 East Jefferson Avenue