Detroit Fuxing Building introduces the history of Detroit Fuxing Building.

Detroit Renaissance Building has a long history and witnessed the whole historical process of Detroit's revival and decline. It is also a very symbolic building, and it is still very famous in the local area. Here is a detailed introduction to the history and story of Detroit Fuxing Building.

Just like its name, this Fuxing Building is destined to become the symbol of Motown. Whether it's stormy or sunny.

Both the morning glow and the long river sunset stand high by the river, witnessing the rise and fall of this great city and recording the extraordinary course of Detroit from decline to revival.

People who have been to downtown Detroit will surely notice that there is a unique building in the city center. This complex, consisting of five cylindrical glass buildings, stands tall on the Detroit River and faces Windsor, Canada across the river.

Looking back at Motown from Windsor, the towering buildings are the most spectacular landmarks supporting the Motown skyline.

It once had a resounding and imaginative name: Renaissance architecture. Today, it is the headquarters building of General Motors, so it is also called the General Renaissance Building.

As you can imagine, during the difficult reconstruction of Detroit in the past few decades, this building has carried many heavy hopes and dreams of the people of Motown.

So, how did this building come about? Is Motown really revived?

To answer these questions, we have to start with the rise of Motown and the tragic riot that happened nearly fifty years ago.

First, emerging cities

From the end of 19 to the middle of the 20th century, Detroit has never been absent from the rapid development of American industry for more than 50 years. Not only is there no absence, Detroit is also leading the trend and walking in the forefront.

It can even be said that the rise of American industry is accompanied by the rise of Detroit.

Electrification and assembly line, the two greatest revolutionary inventions in the second industrial revolution, first appeared in Detroit.

In the early years, when Edison, the great inventor, made his first bucket of gold by buying newspapers and selling candy on the train in Detroit, he had an indissoluble bond with Detroit.

When he invented electric lighting, he established an electric company in Detroit very early, making Detroit one of the earliest cities in the United States with electric lighting systems.

Edison's chief mechanic, lifelong friend and great industrialist-Henry. Ford also started his energetic car career in Detroit.

Ford founded the Ford Motor Company here in 1903.

Subsequently, he introduced an epoch-making product-Model T, and at the same time, he also created a large-scale production line, which greatly improved labor productivity and innovated the mode of contemporary industrial production.

Electrification and assembly line, two new things that first appeared in Detroit, were later recognized as the symbols of the second industrial revolution.

During the period of vigorous industrialization in the United States, all kinds of automobile heroes gathered in Detroit, where they showed their talents and made the automobile industry in the United States and even the world flourish.

After a series of mergers and acquisitions, all American auto giants are concentrated in Detroit, making Detroit a veritable automobile city.

Detroit's achievements are endless. The first year of American automobile industry started from 1903 when Ford Motor Company was founded.

Detroit is the first city in the United States to lay cement roads, install urban traffic light systems and own urban expressways.

Detroit once owned the world's largest factory-rouge factory. During World War II, heavy weapons and equipment, such as airplanes and tanks, produced by Detroit factories went to various anti-fascist battlefields around the world 24 hours a day, truly becoming the "arsenal of democratic countries" expected by President Roosevelt.

Driven by the wave of industrialization, Detroit has also become the fastest-growing city and region in the United States, and urban construction has made rapid progress. As early as the beginning of the last century, Detroit had the reputation of "Paris in the United States".

Not only that, Motown is also an important town that gave birth to American jazz and blues music. Motown, which originated from Motown, still occupies an important position in the music industry.

By the end of 1950s, downtown Detroit had a population of nearly 2 million, making it one of the richest and most dynamic areas in the United States.

Second, the destruction of riots.

However, with the rapid growth of Motown, disasters are also gestating.

First of all, Detroit neglected the pluralistic development of social structure in its development, which made the polarization of its population structure reach its peak when the economic aggregate reached its peak, which led to the sharp expansion of the gap between the rich and the poor and the very tense labor relations.

So Detroit is also the first city in the United States with a large-scale trade union organization.

Secondly, due to the influx of African-American workers, the racial contradictions in Detroit are becoming increasingly serious.

The symptoms of the sharp deterioration of the contradiction between labor relations and ethnic relations have appeared, but they did not arouse the vigilance and timely and sufficient attention of the government and all walks of life at that time.

As a result, it is accidental and inevitable that a man-made disaster befalls this locomotive that once led the American economy.

1July 23, 967,

As usual, it was a sunny Sunday in the Great Lakes region. Early this morning, Detroit police dispatched police to forcibly ban an unlicensed bar at the junction of the city 12 Street and Clairmont Avenue, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many black people present at that time.

The police took compulsory measures and arrested dozens of blacks who tried to resist.

Early in the morning, black residents living in 12 block rushed to confront the police.

The police did not show weakness, forcibly driving people away, causing conflicts between the people and the police. Residents threw bricks and bottles at the police, and the police had to mobilize more police reinforcements to try to disperse the crowd. This move is like adding fuel to the fire, attracting more blacks and heating up the conflict.

On the evening of 24th, the conflict reached its climax, and thousands of blacks broke through the siege formed by a large number of police and rushed to the city.

There was a large-scale riot.

These deeply resentful blacks poured into the streets, overthrew police cars, burned and robbed shops, and quickly spread the riots to other neighborhoods in the east of the city. The situation is completely out of control. In the next five days, rioters burned houses, destroyed police stations and damaged public facilities. At that time, the motor city was full of smoke and debris everywhere.

Shops, banks, schools and factories in the city are closed. A new city is paralyzed.

George, then governor. Lomoni had to intervene and order the Michigan National Guard to enter Detroit. At the same time, he also asked the then President Johnson to send armed forces and drive tanks into the city to calm the chaos. In this massive riot, Detroit paid a heavy price:

43 people were killed (including 1 policeman, 1 soldier and 2 firefighters), 467 people were injured, more than 7,000 people were arrested, and more than 2,000 buildings and houses were destroyed or damaged.

The five-day riot dealt a heavy blow to Motown.

He is like a powerful nuclear bomb, which has had a far-reaching influence in the hearts of people in Motown. First of all, a large number of White residents awakened from the riots began to flee downtown Detroit in horror, which is called "white escape phenomenon" (white

Flying).

These white residents are so determined to leave that they have no time to deal with their property in the city. As a result, a large number of abandoned properties appeared in downtown Detroit, and some areas even became empty cities.

Subsequently, a large number of shops in urban areas closed down, the economy was depressed and property prices plummeted. In this way, the influx of black residents has greatly increased the proportion of black people in downtown Detroit and soon became the majority.

1973, Coleman, the first black mayor of Detroit, walked out of Ford's production line. Coleman Young took office. He vowed to lead the revival of Detroit.

But where is the road to revival?

Third, Ford II.

The rapid decline of Detroit caused great anxiety of Henry Ford Jr., chairman of Ford Motor Company. The riot shocked and depressed the Ford descendant who grew up in Motown.

Although Ford itself is not in downtown Detroit, it has not been greatly affected. However, like his controversial grandfather, he always has a sense of mission in the face of major setbacks.

197 1 year, Ford II invited the business tycoons of Motown and other social figures to set up a non-profit organization called "Detroit Renaissance Center", and personally took the lead to cheer for the revitalization of Detroit.

The ambitious Ford II's first project was to develop the largest private project at that time by the river in the city center, so as to promote the revival of Detroit.

The address has been chosen. What should we do?

Ford II remembers a recent trip to Atlanta. There, he saw the Peach Tree Center Building, a large multifunctional complex that just appeared in the United States, and aroused great interest.

So he found John Portman Jr., the designer and developer of Peachtree Center, to advise Motown.

Ford II's first thought was how to attract those citizens who fled the city center back.

At that time, the public security in the city center was very poor, and it was urgent to establish a safe and convenient working and living environment there. Pushed by Ford II, Portman Jr. designed this super-large building complex for Detroit, which was unique in the United States at that time, integrating hotels and multi-functional commercial office buildings. Portman's philosophy at that time was:

You can't just call people downtown, you must make them want to come downtown themselves. And this unique super-large multi-functional building complex is the reason why they want to come. Obviously, little Portman's idea coincides with Ford II.

Therefore, Ford II actively ran and put forward a business plan to build this super-large building complex, which was unanimously endorsed by the municipal government and the city Council at that time. Soon,

The plan was initially funded by Ford with a budget of $500 million and was implemented. The construction of Fuxing Center officially broke ground on 1973.

Fourth, the city in the city.

It took more than three years to complete the first phase of five buildings 1977. That year, Fuxing Building was born, which was amazing.

You see, the whole building complex is completely covered with dark blue glass.

Several cylindrical glass towers soar into the sky, in sharp contrast to other ancient Gothic and Baroque buildings in the city center, showing a modern atmosphere. The 73rd floor in the center of the building is the Westin Hotel.

With more than 1200 rooms, it is the tallest single skyscraper hotel in the world.

The top three floors are a luxurious revolving restaurant-Ding Feng Restaurant. Here, you can enjoy the infinite scenery of the United States and Canada in 360 degrees.

The central hotel is connected with four surrounding 39-story glass buildings, providing a spacious and colorful business and living space. There are Grade A office buildings and various boutique shops.

There are also various leisure facilities from bars to restaurants, from banks to theaters. It even has a separate zip code.

(48243) and the police station. At that time, people vividly called Detroit "the city within the city".

1980, this rising new city ushered in its historical climax. In the American general election, * * * and the party chose to hold a national congress in Fuxing Building.

In a few days that summer, the whirlwind of * * * and Reagan, the popular candidate in the party, blew into Detroit and into the Fuxing Building.

The Reagan couple and former President Ford both stayed at the Westin Fuxing Building Hotel, which made this emerging town make a stunning appearance in front of the national media.

The most convenient road to downtown Detroit is 10 highway. At the end of the road is ——COBO Center, the venue of the famous World Automotive Technology Conference.

I first came to downtown Detroit in the late 1980s. I remember looking up when the car drove out of the passage under the COBO center along the 10 highway.

The towering figure of a building suddenly came face to face and was very shocking.

This is Fuxing Building: tall and majestic. If all you see is this group of buildings, then you will never think that this is the motor city.

Walking into the building, there is a hole inside. The Westin Hotel in the middle is magnificent. There are small bridges and flowing water around the hotel. Plenty of sunshine poured down from the wide glass skylight, and the multi-tone plants were lush.

Find a chair by the water and have a cup of coffee. You can ignore the decline of the motor city and enjoy a quiet time.

In that business cent connected with the hotel, there are various boutique. Walking leisurely in the maze of commercial space, there is no such nervous feeling as walking outside in the street.

The design of the hall is very simple and fashionable. The pillars and walls that support the tall space are not decorated, but bare cement. I once joked with a visiting friend:

Look, Motown is so poor that it doesn't even have a face!

1987, People's Train, a light high-altitude rail transit line connecting Fuxing Building, started running in the city center.

I remember that in those days, taking the people's train and visiting Fuxing Building was an essential sightseeing project to receive friends who came to Checheng.

Five, the building changed hands

1In the summer of 977, Ford II boldly predicted at the inauguration ceremony of the building: "Detroit is on the road of bottoming out." In the following two years, the completion of the building really promoted the prosperity of business activities in the city center, increasing the number of restaurants and the rental rate of office buildings in the city center.

House prices around have also started to rise.

However, this short-lived rebound did not last long. Detroit's road to revival is far from as fast and smooth as the builders expected.

The completion of a building failed to stop the declining reality of American automobile industry under fierce competition, and failed to save the declining fate of Detroit.

Sociologists and architects began to reflect on the gains and losses of this building.

As one of the leaders of Detroit's urban planning, CharlesBlessing hit the nail on the head:

The building is not integrated into the surrounding environment of the city center, which is incompatible with the existing appearance of the city. Architectural critic PaulGoldberger echoed:

This building exists in isolation and fails to integrate with the surrounding environment, which is a necessary condition for the success of a building.

Not only that, the builders of the building tried their best to isolate the building from the surrounding area. Just as sociologist and urban scholar William H. White (William H.

Witt) said: Formally, this super building actually transplanted the suburban shopping center to the city center, and introduced complex security and early warning systems, as well as obvious doorman design. He vividly said: Fuxing Building faces Detroit coldly, and there is a huge concrete platform across the entrance between them, as if to show passers-by: Are you afraid of Detroit? Then come in. This is a safe place.

The explanation of Portman Jr., the architect of the building, also confirms this criticism.

When I first came to Detroit, I was told not to walk in the street of the hotel. If you want to leave the hotel, you must take a taxi back and forth. This is what happened when we started building the building. In order to change all this, we must create an environment that makes people feel safe.

The Detroit River between the two bridges, the Ambassador Bridge connecting Canada and the MacArthur Bridge connecting the beautiful islands are the most precious and commercially valuable areas in the Motown, whether from the commercial point of view or from the perspective of urban architecture.

No wonder when Motown opened a casino, major American casinos, including the current * * * and Donald, the party's popular presidential candidate. Donald Trump (Donald

Tramp), the location of the casino has been put in this lot in the plan. At that time, the city Council rejected any proposal to build a casino by the river under the pressure of the citizens, which preserved the purity of the business and living atmosphere in this area.

Fuxing Building is located in the middle of this golden river bank.

Regrettably, during the period from its completion to the end of last century, Fuxing Building stood like a lonely giant on the Detroit River. It proudly and helplessly watched the golden river bank under its feet occupied by a messy parking lot.

Not far from the river, there is a once glorious Ford Grand Theatre, which has been closed for many years. Due to years of disrepair, the theater looks shabby and the surrounding area is deserted.

Since the completion of the building, Ford has been a staunch supporter, placing its most important financial and market development departments here. 1987, Ford II died.

Ford's consistent support for this building also followed. By the middle of 1990' s, Ford had the idea of leaving Fuxing Building due to the decline of car share and financial pressure. When the news came out, it shook the car city.

DennisArcher, then mayor,

) Dare not neglect, immediately join hands with the state government, after a series of ups and downs, replacement leap operation, finally attracted another Detroit auto giant-General Motors 1996, and bought this building with a cost of nearly 400 million US dollars at a price of only 73 million US dollars.

Since then, a page in Ford has ended and a new chapter in architecture has begun.

I think Ford II was aggressive all his life and had a strong nature. Perhaps he never dreamed that his hard work for Motown in his later years fell into the hands of his long-term rival, General Motors, in less than ten years.

If there is a spirit in heaven, will he regret it?

Sixth, general principles

No, Ford II won't regret it. Not only does he not regret it, but he will be glad that Fuxing Building has fallen into the hands of GM, an ambitious and responsible company.

Although GM was also facing the dilemma of car decline at that time, it was still the largest enterprise in the United States. While demolishing the building, GM solemnly promised to invest the same budget as when building the building-

500 million dollars to further improve the environment of this city and its surrounding areas.

Keep your promise. In the ten years after the headquarters moved into Fuxing Building, GM actually invested 500 million dollars in the renovation of the building and the improvement of the surrounding environment. First of all, all the cement partitions around the building were removed, and the communication between the building and the surrounding area was opened. Then, the thick wall is changed into a glass curtain wall with glass doors, so that its interior can be seen at a glance and integrated with the surrounding area.

A semi-circular driveway is facing the main entrance of Jefferson Avenue, like an open arm, welcoming people from Motown.

In order to improve the internal labyrinth traffic structure, different areas of the building are painted with different colors to distinguish them. At the same time, in order to facilitate the traffic in various areas, a circular glass corridor extending in all directions was built on the third floor.

The floor of the corridor is light green, round and shiny thick glass, and the glass wall of the handrail is crystal clear, novel and fashionable, setting off a quiet and beautiful environment.

A general motors exhibition hall was built on the ground floor of the building, displaying more than 30 new and old models every day.

There is a wide indoor winter garden on the side of the building facing the river, which provides an excellent leisure space for people who spend a long winter in Michigan.

Sitting in the hall with crystal clear glass on three walls and ceiling, you can enjoy the bright sunshine in Michigan and the beautiful scenery on the Detroit River all year round.

In winter, the ice and snow outside set off two rows of tall palm trees coming from the south, which has a unique style and enjoyment.

While rebuilding the building, GM invested a lot of money to improve the surrounding environment.

After moving the messy parking lot along the river, GM fulfilled its promise to the municipal government and opened a leisure square and a leisure corridor along the river.

The square looks fashionable and chic, with a big map of the world embedded in the ground.

On the map, spotlights have been installed in major cities all over the world, flashing and fascinating in the night.

There is a water fountain arranged in a geometric pattern in the square. Every summer, it is a paradise for children to play in the water. The landscape corridor along the river is integrated with the city, and the Michigan pier next to it has also been completed, which stops at the Detroit Princess cruise ship all the year round. Open-air concerts are often held in the square on weekend nights in summer. No matter day or night, the sight of tourists weaving along the Detroit River reappears in Motown.

The Ford Grand Theatre, which has been in disrepair for a long time, has been demolished.

The green space built here is connected with Hart Square in the city center. Every year on Labor Day in late summer, a national jazz festival is held here. At that time, jazz bands and masters from all over the world will gather in Motown and take turns to perform on four stages with Fuxing Building as the background.

Immersed in the carnival-like lively atmosphere of jazz festival, I was deeply moved by the desolation and decline I saw here many years ago.

The rise and fall of a city is only a meteor-like moment in the long river of history. But what has happened and is happening here is not just like a vivid history lesson. How important is the harmonious interaction between society and economy, man and nature to human development from both positive and negative aspects, and is it worth discussing and thinking about?

In the evening, overlooking the brightly lit skyline of Motown, Fuxing Building stands proudly. At the top of the building, the blue fluorescent characters of "General Motors" shine brightly, which seems to indicate the confidence of General Motors and the future of the revival of Motor City.

Seven. Towards revival

After a painful bankruptcy process, Detroit people finally understand that the revitalization of Motown ultimately depends on their own sacrifices and efforts. The year before last, Motown, which is dominated by blacks, elected a white mayor for the first time, which showed the improvement of racial relations and people's expectation for a better future.

As soon as the new mayor took office last year, he led Motown out of the shadow of bankruptcy and steadily moved towards the road of revival.

Standing on the roof of Fuxing Building, look around. The MacArthur Bridge in the north is like a silver chain leading to the beautiful island park in Motown. The island, a pearl that has been neglected for many years, is gradually recovering its former glory under the care of people.

The ambassador bridge connecting the two countries in the south is still heroic after the storm. In the near future, it will usher in another sister bridge to meet the growing economic and trade demand between Checheng and Canada.

At the foot of the east is the broad and beautiful Detroit River. The green river is like a flowing emerald, dancing with a graceful posture, and its amorous feelings are infinitely extended to the distance.

To the west, several avenues that have experienced the ups and downs of the American automobile industry-Michigan Avenue, Woodward Avenue, Jefferson Avenue and Dahe Avenue-stretch straight into the distance, extending all the way to the bustling outer suburbs of the automobile city and the vast and magnificent land of northern Michigan.

Not far away, the home of the Detroit baseball tigers and the home of the football lions stand side by side, showing their majestic posture. Soon there will be a new home to welcome another sports star in Motown, the Red Wings Ice Hockey Team.

Whenever sports events are held here, the city center will become a sea of happy people. The main theater and concert hall adjacent to Broadway block have been renovated. Fashionable restaurants and bars are also increasing here.

At night, it is no longer dark here, but the lights are flickering and people are the narrowest.

CampusMartius, located in the city center, has been rebuilt and become another vibrant leisure activity center in the city.

There are central green spaces and fountains in the square. In the spring season, there will also be an artificial beach, where people who work nearby can put their feet on the beach, listen to music or have a cup of coffee and enjoy a moment of relaxation after work.

In the snowy winter, it has become an ice rink again. Colorful Christmas lights and the bustling ice dancers around decorated the atmosphere of Motown Music Festival.

All this stems from the fact that the business activities around the building are recovering from the decline and steadily moving towards prosperity.

Since several companies such as compuware and Express Loan resolutely moved their headquarters to the city center and close to Fuxing Building a few years ago, a number of manufacturing, R&D and service companies began to settle in Motown.

Just a few weeks ago, Amazon, an American online sales tycoon, also announced that it would build a technology center in Motown Center.

Just like its name, Fuxing Building is destined to become the symbol of Motown. Whether it's stormy or sunny.

Both the morning glow and the long river sunset stand high by the river, witnessing the rise and fall of this great city and recording the extraordinary course of Detroit from decline to revival.