Packard Motor Car Showroom and Storage Facility, historic commercial building in New York, United States
The Packard Motor Car Showroom and Storage Facility is a three-story reinforced concrete building designed by architect Albert Kahn and completed in 1927. It features a Neo-classical facade with decorative stone details, large showroom windows for displaying vehicles, and interior spaces for storage and car maintenance.
The building opened in 1927 as a sales and storage facility for Packard luxury automobiles and served this purpose for about 30 years. After Packard production ended in 1958, it was repurposed for various businesses until new owners restored it in the late 1990s.
The building reflects an era when cars represented wealth and prestige. Its elegant stonework and classical details were designed to impress buyers and emphasize the quality of Packard automobiles to the local community.
The building is located at 1325 Main Street in Buffalo and occupies a large portion of the block, with frontages on both Main Street and Riley Street. Its sturdy reinforced concrete and steel construction with large windows and wide doors provides easy access and good visibility of the showroom from the street.
The building's roof features a water tank with the classic Packard logo painted on it, a rare surviving detail that still connects the structure to the automotive industry. The interior car ramps and specialized ventilation systems were innovative 1920s solutions designed for safe and efficient auto service operations.
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