David Stott

The David Stott Building is one of Detroit’s most cherished Art Deco towers. Completed in 1929 as a professional office building, it was the last of the skyscrapers built in Detroit until thirty years later. Simple in design, but distinctive on the skyline, the tone of the building façade changes from a deep reddish tan to buff as a series of setbacks rise with terra cotta parapets at the top of the building. KDG served as historic consultant and architect of record for the adaptive reuse and restoration of the tower.

Though the interiors of the tenant office spaces had changed over time, historic materials in common areas such as the building entrance and elevator lobbies remained and were restored during conversion of the building into apartments. The main lobby features engraved brass detailing along the mailbox, the building directories and the elevator call buttons. The original brass elevator doors are elaborately engraved and detailed including the building’s insignia: DSB. The building’s six elevators at the core of each floor plate create a significant, repeating historic feature. KDG worked closely with consulting engineers to ensure that new systems did not disrupt historic areas of the building. For example, only four elevators were needed for the new use, so electrical rooms were installed in one of the shafts. KDG ensured that all six sets of original elevator doors still lined the lobbies.