A rare viewing of the main floor of the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold, with its vaulted ceiling, was seen by approximately 25 Art Deco Society members who took advantage of the private tour made available by the Fanclub Foundation for the Arts and building owners, MichCon. The evening’s tour guide, Becky Binno (at left), has given many tours of the building, but she was delighted to be able to finally enter its main room with her group for a close-up view of the intricate designs and Aztec patterns, which reflect a combination of the Art Deco and Arts and Crafts styles. For several years, the room was being used by tenants, and the public was not allowed to go beyond the arch entrance. The architect of this 1929 building, Writ Rowland, was the last architect of the Art Deco era to have complete control over every aspect of design in the building, right down to the cigarette urns.

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