The building s exterior is decorated with carved romanesque human and animal images stylized eagles and is capped with a copper and gold roof.
Fisher building gold roof.
Albert kahn and associates designed the building with joseph nathaniel french serving as chief architect.
The fisher building was designed as a city within a city combining commercial retail and entertainment facilities under one roof.
The building got its nickname of the golden tower because it was originally covered in gold leaf faced tile.
The building s hipped roof was originally covered with gold leaf tiles.
The gold capped tower has taken its proper place in detroit s ever changing skyline the detroit news wrote of the fisher in october 1928 when the finishing touches were being put on the building.
During world war ii the tiles were covered with asphalt to reduce the building s prominence as a protection from enemy bomber pilots.
After the war the asphalt could not be removed without damaging the roof which was then covered with green tiles.
The steep hipped roof was originally covered with gold leaf though is now clad with green tile.
Fun fact the golden tower is encased in real gold.
Why is it called the golden tower when it isn t gold.
The gold up there now is just paint.
The family sold their auto business to gm motors and used some of the proceeds to finance the fisher building.
This will be the most beautiful building of its kind ever created.
During world war ii the tiles were covered in asphalt out of fear that the reflective surface would attract enemy bombers.
Windows gutters siding roofing doors patio covers and porch enclosures.
The upper stories are faced with marble.
Fisher building launches pop up and food truck series plans two new restaurants.
The building includes a 3000 seat theate designed with a mayan style interior.
The building originally had gold leaf tiles on the roof.
After the war the asphalt couldn t be removed from the gold tiles without harming them so they were replaced with green tiles.
During wwii however they were afraid that the shiny gold roof would be a fun target in the event of a bombing attack and thus they poured tar over the whole thing to dull it.
The fisher building is celebrating food from every corner of detroit with the launch of feast at the fisher a weekly pop up lunch series held in the arcade and fridays at the fisher which features local food trucks pot box s flower truck and the eastern market food stand held outside on the building west.
The art deco building was designed by the firm of taylor and fisher and completed in eighteen months fashioned from indiana sandstone and local brick over a steel frame at a cost of u s 3 million.