[hotwheels]

Storied Detroit Site Would Finally Return to Former Glory Under SHoP Design

In 1998, Detroit's 29-storey J. L. Hudson Department Store became the tallest and largest building ever imploded. The spectacular scene followed a barrage of controversy — the elegant building, designed in the Chicago School style of architecture, had prominently served as a staple of downtown retail from 1911 until its closure in 1983. Despite calls to save what had been the tallest department store in the world and the second largest after Macy's Herald Square in New York City, its fate was sadly sealed just one week before Halloween. Since then, 1206 Woodward Avenue has worn out its welcome as a four-level underground parking garage, leaving a considerable gap in the Detroit cityscape. But plans by billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert would pump new life into the storied site with a striking building designed by SHoP Architects and Hamilton Anderson Associates.