Guardian Building vs David Stott Building

Guardian Building
David Stott Building

Comparing the Guardian Building and the David Stott Building is interesting because they both stand in Detroit, MI, and were completed in the same year, 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
151m
Floors
36

Height & Size

Height
133m
Floors
38

These two towers present an interesting contrast in their proportions. The Guardian Building rises higher at 495ft (151m), while the David Stott Building reaches 436ft (133m). However, the David Stott Building accommodates more floors with 38 levels above ground, compared to 36 floors in the Guardian Building.

This suggests different approaches to interior space design. The Guardian Building has an average floor-to-floor height of approximately 4.2m, while the David Stott Building has more compact floors averaging around 3.5m each. The taller building's more generous floor heights might indicate grander interior spaces, higher ceilings, or different programmatic requirements.

These different proportions likely reflect the specific needs each building was designed to serve, whether driven by zoning regulations, client requirements, or the intended use of the spaces within. The contrast shows how architects can achieve different spatial experiences even when working with similar overall building scales.

Style
Art Deco

Architectural Style

Style
Art Deco

Both the Guardian Building and the David Stott 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 Smith, Hinchman & Grylls and Donaldson and Meier 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 Guardian Building is primarily commercial, while the David Stott Building is primarily residential.

Originally, the David Stott Building was designed for commercial, but over time it was converted to residential. The Guardian Building by contrast has maintained its original role.

The David Stott Building offers 107 residential units.

Structure
Frame
Facade

Structure & Facade

Structure
Frame
Facade
Masonry

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

Guardian Building David Stott Building
Smith, Hinchman & Grylls Architect Donaldson and Meier
1927 Construction Started 1928
1929 Year Completed 1929
Art Deco Architectural Style Art Deco
Commercial Current Use Residential
36 Floors Above Ground 38
4 Floors Below Ground 3
149 Last Floor Height 132
151 m Height (m) 133 m
193 Tip Height 138
12 Number of Elevators 6
Frame Structure Type Frame
Steel Vertical Structure Material Steel
Concrete Horizontal Structure Material Concrete
No Facade Structural? No
Granite, Limestone, Terracotta, Brick Main Facade Material Bricks
Union Trust Company Developer Stott Realty Company
Anthony Eugenio, Corrado Parducci, Mary Chase Perry Stratton, And Ezra Winter Collaborating Artist Corrado Parducci
MI State MI
Detroit City Detroit
500 Griswold Street Address 1150 Griswold Street