The Leland Hotel, architectural structure
The Leland Hotel is a 20-story building in Renaissance Revival style located in downtown Detroit, opening in 1927 and standing over 78 meters tall. Designed by architects Rapp & Rapp, it features decorative brickwork and terra cotta detailing, along with classical architectural elements typical of 1920s design.
The hotel was designed in 1927 by architects Rapp & Rapp, who specialized in theater buildings and brought their experience in elegant design to this project. Over the following decades, the building underwent major transformations: from an 800-room luxury hotel in the 1920s to a conversion into apartments beginning in the 1960s, and finally to a mixed-use residential building with event spaces from 2010 onward.
The Leland Hotel served as a gathering place for Detroit's social and business life. Its name connects to Henry Leland, a pioneering figure in the city's automotive industry, and the building itself became a symbol of the vibrant downtown culture that defined Detroit's golden era.
The building is centrally located in downtown Detroit near Grand Circus Park and is walkable from other historic sites in the area. Visitors can admire the Renaissance Revival facade from the street and explore the interior, which now houses a nightclub and a diner open to the public.
The hotel served as a meeting place for influential historical figures, including labor leaders and business executives, making it a quiet witness to important negotiations in Detroit's industrial history. Today, the building houses a nightclub in its former ballroom that has operated as a cultural venue since 1983.
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