The news that Cadillac is moving its Detroit headquarters to New York City delivered quite a blow to Detroit's ongoing rebirth, writes Alissa Walker on Gizmodo, with some exaggeration.
The agency's striking new downtown base has an atrium-style interior courtyard. (Facebook photo)
But she seems right on with this statement: Cadillac's advertising agency is a shining example of that rebirth. It's housed in a gorgeous new office in a salvaged 100-year-old building, proof that sticking it out in Detroit and can be beautiful and smart.
Earlier this year Lowe Campbell Ewald moved into their new headquarters, designed by Neumann/Smith Architecture. The architects were familiar with the building: a five-story former warehouse for the Hudson's department store chain with a large central opening at the center. Even though it was over a century old, the warehouse also represented somewhat of a blank slate—the space was completely gutted, with only concrete floors and pillars.
That's probably the most striking part of the entire project—most of the "unfinished" elements that appear to be peeled back by time are actually brand new. When the architects added in the building's infrastructure, they made the choice to leave the ductwork, bolts, plywood flooring, and wiring completely exposed, building upon the structure's aesthetic.
There are the typical architectural salvage elements—500 doors rescued from local buildings and wood reclaimed from rural barns—but also more inventive nods to the company's legacy, like a ceiling made of the press plates from the agency's actual ads. These brass sheets were used until digital proofs became the norm, about 30 years ago (photo above).
