I just can't figure this one out. The photos below are from my last trip to Detroit, right downtown. It's the "A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education" - hopefully not fire escape design! What could be the possible purpose of this particular stairway? It exits out one floor, goes down to the next floor where there is no door, but instead there is a place for a fire truck ladder. Is it to allow the top floors to get down to "fire truck ladder" height? Surely fire truck ladders go higher than that in big cities... this exit is on the 4th floor it appears. That's not very high, as big buildings in big cities go. Any other ideas what they were thinking? Jedi Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Jedi, the building was finished in 1930, and was the Argonaut Building aka General Motors Research Laboratory. Donated & in 2009, renamed to Taubman . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonaut_Building
Cool! Doesn't surprise me it's an old GM building - it's in the part of downtown Detroit that's FILLED with old auto-industry buildings, some of which are still in use. Any ideas on the goofy fire escape? Jedi
I'm thinking either; the Argonauts had separate entrances to the Argo and the Argoporter had to hustle up and down *or* that staircase itself is the Golden Fleece.
That's my theory... but heck it's only on the 4th floor! And I didn't see any other buildings in town with a similar deal, and this building only has ONE. Surely if it were a ladder issue they'd have them on all 4 sides, and all buildings in town would match. Or it's a stunt-person training class and they jump onto a bouncy box Or perhaps the class on the 5th floor is so bloody hard, they provide a suicide leap... Jedi
Jedi, I'm on a school board that is approving the use of another floor of an existing school for first grade children. The state Fire Marshall says if you have kids less than second grade above a certain floor, you have to have a fire escape that is exclusively for them and must be accessible directly from their room. So we have to approve an exterior fire escape that only services one room. The state says it does not have to be enclosed. (like the one you show) the local folks say it must be enclosed. The cost difference is (as you can guess) considerable. We're waiting on quotes for each and to see if we can get the local building inspectors to give us some form of waiver. Bottom line is we need something the state and local officials both agree on that also fits in the budget. I'd bet you lunch a very similar story is behind that fire escape. UPDATE after a few minutes of research: My suspicions are probably right. The name of the building is the Argonaut Building. Sez Wikipedia, emphasis mine: Now look at this picture taken in April 2008.-- No Fire escape. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25660710@N02/3226182003/ 5 will get you 10 that fire escape goes to the student housing section. (or maybe the HS area)
That's a render. In other images, you can see sequential ones, that still end above the ground. http://flic.kr/p/5V62tR http://flic.kr/p/5V62rZ http://www.thedetroithub.com/site/user/images/Taub%20Ex%20from%20E_3745.jpg http://www.detroitfunk.com/2009images/june2009/DSC_6988.jpg
Maybe this? "At the fifth floor level, there was formerly a skywalk linking the General Motors Research Laboratory to the GM Building. A skywalk was originally installed in 1940, shortly after the completion of Building B. A later replacement has now been removed." http://www.detroitmi.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BhHQCMGGKmU%3D&tabid=3096&mid=4357 Harley Earl's office was in this building as well.
It was there in Oct of 2009.. This was from a planning document.. http://www.planningmi.org/downloads/facility_assessment_and_adaptive_reuse.pdf Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nope, it's a photo. From the link Notice you're on the wrong side of the building. (look at the where to colors meet at the second floor) Update after another google: This Mich Gov Document from 2005 mentions the other fire escapes(that go to the ground) but does not mention any on the other elevations. Which supports the idea that it did not exist in 2005. http://www.detroitmi.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=BhHQCMGGKmU%3D&tabid=3096&mid=4357
The other image he has has this note "This photo was taken on April 29, 2008 using a Nikon D70s." I noticed that as well, but if you look at the details, they appear to be renders. Zooming in on the image, all of the people are translucent shadows, etc. Here's a good shot from below- Image Unavailable, Please Login
If it is a render what does that say about when it got there? lol Where did you get that last pic? (who woulda thunk such a simple question would lead to such sleuthing?)
Well, THAT'S certainly a lot of detail! Doesn't say one word about the fire escape so far as I can tell by using CTRL-F "search" of the 35 pages... but thanks for posting. Jedi
But on page 22 of that document..... you see a pic with the fire escape and it LOOKS like it was there before the renovation started.... (taken March of 09) The mystery continues.... (BTW My wife is asking what the heck I'm doing on the internet... yeah I'm going with 'looking at p0rn dear' cuz the real answer is waaay too embarrassing.)
Whoa......that's where i'm teaching these days!That's where Automotive Design started under Harley Earl when it was known as the Art & Colour Section.If those walls could talk.Hopefully i won't be needing that escape method.
