Ann Arbor Photo of the Day

[Jin Kim]

I would love to see a wider version of that building transplanted onto the Madison-Lenox site.

Hmm.. interesting idea. It'd actually complement the Opera House next door pretty well, I think.

[Zissou]

Plus it would fit in with Harmonie Park pretty well.

[wolverine]

My bad on the naming. Ashley Mews is the name of the whole development. This entire project, brownstones and office building were done by a subsidary of DTE Energy. Maybe one of these will turn up in Detroit.

[wolverine]

I figured I'd share a few interesting structures that seem to go unnoticed in A2. They are all office buildings, most of them located parts of town that don't get a lot of visitors.

The first is this renovated mill near Ashley.

The former home of Argo Camera Factory. Does anyone know who the tenant is? I heard U of M leases office space in it.

One of my favorites. This building is located South of town near the stadiums. Even the smallest of office buildings got a lot of attention to detail back then.

[wolverine]

North Tower of the new Public Health School addition, viewed from my dorm room. It's still under construction. It's a rather interesting building with various architectural styles thrown into one building. It actually spans two blocks with the road going through it. Not sure what I think of it yet.

Edited February 12, 2006 by wolverine

[Zissou]

Personally, just going on that picture, im not really a fan. But im sure you will give us an update and more photos so ill hold back on my judgement of it. But simply based on that picture I dont really like it.

[WALD0123]

Here's a rendering of the what the new School of Public Health building is supposed to look like:

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/plantext/.../SPH/index.html

I'd be interested to see a photo of the full building as I assume the exterior is nearing completion.

[wolverine]

The exterior is done.

[Zissou]

It looks like the photo is the upper left portion of the main building there. Maybe I just need to see more of this building.

[wolverine]

It's a disaster. I'll try and get photos when I'm in that direction. The original building, to the left is an Albert Kahn building. The other original building to the right is an 80's style brick edifice. When you put them all together and throw in some glassy facades, you get a pile of shytt. I call the building the "Identity Crisis" It's been name for it ever since the rendering came out. So I guess i technically thought of it already.

Edited February 13, 2006 by wolverine

[wolverine]

Here's a pic I took a year and half ago of this cool apartment building in the 4th Ward. Kind of looks like some of the apartment buildings in Highland Park.

[Allan]

Nice photo! That building has all the trademarks of a Charles Agree building. I've added the address to my database of Agree buildings.

[RustTown]

I would have sworn that was in Detroit if I didn't know any better.

[Allan]

Agree's firm grossed over $1,000,000 per year in the 1920s. He did apartment buildings like this all over SE Michigan (mostly Detroit, Highland Park, & Windsor, but also Ann Arbor [and possibly Flint]). Based on my research, he was never particularly fond of his apartment designs. People seemed to like them though...I know have names and addresses of 30+ apartments so far, and I'm missing a bunch.

Agree's work has not faired well over the years. Many of the buildings have been demolished, are unused, or are in an extreme state of decay. Most people have never even heard the name Charles Agree, though his descendants still live in Michigan, and a couple run an architecture firm bearing the Agree name. Not much is known about his work. Records are spotty at best. I'm in the begining stages of a book, so I've got mountains of hand-written notes, a few rolls of ancient blueprints, a pile of photos, and several valueable names & phone numbers. Eventually I'll get around to weeding through all the info....

[RustTown]

Not to get too far of the subject of Ann Arbor, but who designed most (or at least many) of the Aztec/Moorish/Egyptian hybrid styles in Palmer Park in Detroit? It would have been so cool, if areas in and around town had originally been developed in those interesting styles.

[wolverine]

Personally, I don't need help, but this signboard makes it look like Ann Arbor does!

So WHAT is with this creepy illuminated signboard? Last time it was a human sillouhette of a guy trying to get out. Now it's all green and just says "help. "

The sign is located next to the elevated tracks as you come into Ann Arbor from the North.

I even made a strange video of it. I compressed it is much as I could for slower connections. I feel it's worth the watch:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ifmuth/help/help.html

P.S. I feel bad for the residents and businesses that are up against this rail line. The trains sounds are awful

[tapezord]

wow... every now and then I see a word that just loses total meaning as you look at the individual letters... help is one of them...

help.

help.

help.

odd word.

Those are some HORRIBLE sounding rails by the way... yikes!

[Zissou]

Wolverine man, switch your major to film. Great stuff.

[wolverine]

Since this will be the last sunny day for awhile, I figured I would snap a few photos of the skyline.

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[Southernyank]

Great shot!!

[ZachariahDaMan]

Awesome pic, I can never get enough of Ann Arbor, I am there so much. Out of curiosity Wolverine (and anyone else that wants to respond) what is your favorite building in Ann Arbor? Mine would have to be the First National Building on Main Street. I like the U-of-M Clock Tower too and some of the other U-of-M buildings.

[wolverine]

I would have to say my favorite is the First National Building as well. I also like the large red brick building a block behind it as well. Angell Hall is a cool one too.

You can go up in the clock tower during normal day hours btw. The door up into the area where the bells are is locked only occasionally during daytime hours. It's always been kept unlocked whenever I go up there. It's a great place for pictures. Angell Hall and Rackham Hall also have public roof access. There's a sign warning you not to climb all over the mechanical stuff. Rackham roof is open during daytime hours. Angell Hall's roof is only open during nightime hours. Use the 24 hour access doors that face the diag if it's after 10 pm (the 8 story part of the building). If they are locked anyway, enter 0000 on the keypad and the far right door will unlock. The stairwell to the roof is actually in the old part of the building near the lobby.

Edited March 11, 2006 by wolverine

[ZachariahDaMan]

That's awesome, thanks for telling me. I didn't know I could go up the clock tower. Next time I go to Ann Arbor I will have to to take some cool pics.

[wolverine]

Here's a couple pic's I took this evening:

There is a proposed structure for the spot where the surface lot is in the above photo. I don't know much about it, but here's a rendering:

[Michi]

Spiffie!