The S.S. Kresge Building

Sebastian S. Kresge was a traveling salesman that purchased part interest in two retail stores in 1884. One of these stores was located in Detroit and Kresge moved there. He gained control of a Five and Dime store on Woodward. By 1912, he built a chain of 85 Kresge Stores many of which were located in Michigan.

He first commissioned Albert Kahn to design him a 18 story building which is now known as the Kales building (which I will take a picture of at some point in the future).

The building shown above was built in 1927 and designed by Albert Kahn. It is located on Second Avenue in Cass Park. It housed 1200 employees.

The building is basically a horizontal skyscraper and occupies a whole block. It is shaped like an E with the prongs pointing away from Cass Park. It won many awards for outstanding architecture.

The building is 5 and a half stories tall. Its size comes mostly from its length.

The building is a mix of styles with a Mansard roof. It has elements of the Second Empire and Art Deco styles.

Like many of the other Kahn buildings there are some nice details. I like many of the sculptures on the building.

In 1972, Kresge moved its headquarters to Troy (it is now known as K-Mart). The building is now used by Wayne State as an incubator for high tech firms.