One Of The World's Tallest Brick Buildings Is Downtown Detroit's Art Deco Crown Jewel With Epic Views

Most American skyscrapers tend to wear somber suits of glass and steel — imposing, no doubt, but lacking in whimsy and details that provoke a closer look. By contrast, Detroit's Guardian Building is a surprising skyscraper decked out in terra cotta orange, with tribal-inspired geometric ceilings and Art Deco spires. You might not immediately consider Detroit to have one of the world's most iconic downtown skylines, but the Guardian Building is a standout. Close to 500 feet tall, it was the tallest brick building in the world when it was completed in 1929.

With up-and-coming neighborhoods like charming Corktown, Detroit might be appearing on your radar as a travel-worthy destination, and if you visit the Michigan city, you're in for a treat. Touring the Guardian Building — including taking a ride up its elevator for stunning views — for the first time carries an impression not just of its grandeur and unexpected warmth but also of the city's aspirations at its most ambitious and alive. Detroit's been through some turbulent eras — between 1950 and 2010, it lost over 60% of its population, according to the Economy League. But in 2023, the city reported finally seeing an uptick in its population, and there's something incredible about visiting this iconic symbol of its golden age just as the city begins to rise again.

It's clear from the moment that you come upon the Guardian Building that this is no ordinary skyscraper — its architecture and interior design are totally unique, a brainchild of Wirt C. Rowland during Detroit's peak industrial and commercial era in the 1920s. The building housed the Union Trust Company when it was finished in 1929, a date you might also recognize as the year of the major stock market crash. But investors had so much faith in Detroit at the time that they bailed out the company, which then became the Union Guardian Trust Company (where the building derives its name from).

The magnificent design of the building was more akin to a cathedral than a financial hub, which earned it the nickname "the Cathedral of Finance." It comprises two towers connected by something similar to a church's nave, and its sprawling arched ceilings and stained glass mural are reminiscent of places of worship. But the details and craftsmanship of the building shouldn't be oversimplified. Everything from the Navajo-inspired tile patterns down to the angular, idiosyncratic typeface found on plaques make the building a breathtaking concoction of integrated styles and flourishes. It's no wonder the Guardian Building was named the best building in Detroit by Axios readers.

There are also some fun details in the materials used for the building: The columns inside are made from travertine marble and a rare Belgian black marble, now exhausted from its original quarry. Additionally, a deep, red marble was used throughout the lobby that Rowland himself sourced on a trip to Africa.

Even though the Guardian Building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, it was closed to public visitors for several years until 2003. Today, you can enter the lobby and banking hall for free and view the dazzling tiled vaulted ceiling. You can also get tours of otherwise off-limits areas of the building for a fee. Tripadvisor reviewer @O2013DJbarbaras noted that tours include "the marble lobby; the Tiffany clock promenade, formerly lined with 40 teller booths; the giant underground vaults; and the 32d floor with its terrific views of the metro area." While you're exploring the building, look for details like the mural of Michigan (at the back wall of the first floor) and the Tiffany & Co.-designed clocks (at the metal screen before the banking hall). There's a gift shop in the building where you can buy tour tickets, open every day except Tuesday and Wednesday (or you can book online in advance). You'll also find a coffee shop, James Oliver Coffee Co., inside the lobby.

The Guardian Building is located in Detroit's Financial District, right by the Detroit River. The nearest major airport is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, about a 25-minute drive or hour-long bus ride from the Financial District. For a bite nearby, try out the mouth-watering Italian food and royal experience of SheWolf, just a 10-minute drive or 20 minutes by bus from the Guardian Building.