This conceptual project generated an adaptive reuse proposal for the Book and Tower Building in a registered historic district. Louis Kamper designed the thirteen-story Book Building in 1917, in the Beaux Arts style, to create elite shops and offices. In 1926 the thirty-six-story Tower Building extended the leaseable space. This proposal preserved and rehabilitated the historic features in the lobby area and renovated the retail spaces. An Asian Café was designed to contrast, but blend with, the Beaux Arts style. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation were followed in the lobby area so as to make the renovation eligible for federal and state tax credits. LEED for New Construction & Major Renovation Criteria grounded the proposal so as to reduce the potentially negative environmental impact associated with renovation of urban high-rise buildings. The contrast of new and old, East and West, created an intriguing tension in this Detroit landmark
