Views from atop the Guardian Building

[Gistok]

MIRepublic,

I have no qualms or differences about the height of the Guardian or any other building downtown.

Where we differ is on where the ArchBloggers photos were taken.

You mention the main building roofline is a 397 ft. [[36th floor). I have no qualms with that, nor do I disagree that some photos were likely taken from that height.

But in the first paragraph of his Blog article, he mentions that he is at the 40th floor, or near the top of the building.

His photograph of the Penobscot Building is partly blocked by the Guardian Buildings north tower... so I agree that he his at the 36th floor for that picture.

But then take a look at his view of the Buhl Building rooftop, from what appears a dizzying height. That photo was taken from very near the top of the building [[40th story penthouse?). If you look at the bottom of that pic, you will see a railing and some protruding terra cotta decorative work sticking out at different lengths.

If you look at the first attached photo, you will see a close up of the middle of the Guardian Building north tower, with that very railing an protruding terra cotta work... at approximately the 38th floor.

Also, because the 36th story rooftop has the north tower rising nearly 90 feet above the roofline [[see 2nd pic attached)... one could not take a picture of the David Stott Building [[located directly north on Griswold) unless a) you took a photo from inside the building looking north, or b) you were outside at some point near the top of the north tower... likely at the 40th floor as the blogger mentions.

My point all along is that not all of those pics were taken at 397 ft. up [[the level that the entire Guardian Building rises to)... but at the higher 40th floor [[480-490 ft.) which is nearly 100 ft. higher than the height the blogger mentions.

[MIRepublic]

Ok, I see what you're saying, but I'm not sure it's a big deal, at all. He said he was at 400 feet, and he was for at least some of the pictures. I mean, is he supposed to say how high he was for each picture? It's a whole ado about nothing, really. The way you are talking about it, you'd think he was a bold-faced liar or idiot.

[Gistok]

Ok, I see what you're saying, but I'm not sure it's a big deal, at all. He said he was at 400 feet, and he was for at least some of the pictures. I mean, is he supposed to say how high he was for each picture? It's a whole ado about nothing, really. The way you are talking about it, you'd think he was a bold-faced liar or idiot.

No, I didn't call him any names... it's just that 40 stories does not equal 397 ft. [[or the 400ft that he mentioned). Some folks were talking about the inaccuracies of his blog, and I just added my additional 2 cents.

After studying the photos, it appears that only the first 2 large photos were taken from the 397 ft. height. Then the rest were either taken at circa 460ft. [[the level with the metal railing) or 490ft. level [[the building top). The image looking down onto the roof of the Buhl Building was taken from the 490 ft. level [[top). The photo of the entire Penobscot was taken from the circa 460 ft. level [[it shows in plain view the metal railing that is at that level). The rest of the photos were taken at either 460ft. or 490 ft. And in discovering this fact, it certainly helps explain why he only mentioned 400ft.... otherwise it's too much detailed info....

And one other thing... the 747/748 ft. height of the RenCen hotel tower... from old Guiness Book of World Records it states that the height was 748 ft. from the side entrance [[not the Wintergarten side). That must have meant the Beaubien St. side, since that is the lowest "exposed" side of the Ren Cen. Since the Ren Cen was built on a sloped site to begin with, they used the lowest side for determining the building height.... although in actuality they should have used the "front door" side in determining the building height. Bragging rights I guess...

[MIRepublic]

Again, that 747 height for the RenCen is taken from a basement level that is completely below grade unlike the wintergarden level which has an entire side of the complex above a ground level. The truck entrance is, indeed, on the Beaubien side, but it's a ramp that leads down into the basement which is where that number comes from. The lowest above-ground entrance is the Wintergarden side at 727 feet.

[Reality_Check]

Returning to the design, rather than the height, I link to Michael Hodges' 80th birthday appreciation [[the building's, not his) in The News today:
http://detnews.com/article/20090506/...rates-80-years

It's exotic, playful, majestic and utterly over-the-top. Call it the architectural equivalent of Aretha's hat.

. . . with photo gallery by Brandy Baker of this 'supermodel.'