Pure Detroit Guardian Building Tour and City Walk

Before starting our tour, Drew and I had to use the restroom, which for the men is located in the basement of the Guardian Building. Also in the basement are a couple of bank vaults, which we of course had to check out!

Another view of the door to the bank vault.

This is the street level entrance into the lobby of the Guardian Building. To the left are doors leading out to Griswold Street, while the window straight ahead is over the doorway out to Congress Street. On the right is the customer service desk and elevator banks.

Another view of the entrance lobby, looking up at the intricate detailed Pewabic tiled ceiling.

The bank credo above the customer service desk with the elevator banks on either side.

This is the mural in the bank lobby of the Guardian Building. It was painted by Traverse City muralist Ezra Winter.

The mural features a Native American princess and celebrates Michigan's industry, agriculture and prosperity at the time the building was erected.

A look at the bank lobby, complete with a hand painted horse-hide canvas ceiling, designed to dampen the noise in the area.

A closer look at the Tiffany clock, one of only four remaining in the world, in the lobby (the clock is dual faced, putting one side in the bank lobby and the other in the building lobby).

One of many windows to the outside. The blue glass block was added in the 50's to help keep the building cooled.

The glass block letting in light through the ceiling of the bank lobby.

Heading outside for our tour, this is a look up at the Guardian Building from Congress Street.

The First National Building wrapping around some of the oldest "skyscrapers" still standing in Detroit.

A closer look at the old "skyscrapers" from the previous picture, with the First National Building behind them.

One Detroit Center rising above the city's skyline.

A closer look at part of the First National Building.

A look at the Penobscot Building.

A close-up of the Penobscot Building entrance area.

The Ford Building standing next to the Penobscot Building. Interestingly enough, this Ford family has no ties to the iconic automotive Ford family, rather it was built as the headquarters of the Edward Ford Plate Glass Co. from nearby Ohio.

The Chrysler House. Another interesting story - with the advent of the "Imported from Detroit" ad campaign, Chrysler was sued for not actually having any presence in the city of Detroit. To settle, Chrysler leased the top two floors of this building and bought the naming rights, giving it the presence it needed to continue being "Imported from Detroit."