Guardian Building vs 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 & Size
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.
Architectural Style
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.
Uses
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 & Facade
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 |