The storied history of Detroit’s Book Tower and Book Building begins with their architect, Louis Kamper. Dubbed a “cake decorator” by local press, he collaborated with the zealous Book brothers on their quest to build Detroit’s tallest building. Completed in 1926, Kamper’s work defines Detroit’s arterial Washington Boulevard and set a precedent for much of the city’s urban fabric—Italianate Renaissance meets industrial past. The Book Tower flourished as an office tower during the pinnacle of Detroit’s industrial age, but the building fell into disrepair as the city’s industry dwindled away and tenants moved out.
Today, however, it seems like just about every city is
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