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downtown and Midtown would come
roaring back, and that the Book would
rebound after a massive renovation. But
that’s precisely what happened in 2008,
and the spruced-up hotel was back in
business, along with 67 condos and
penthouses on the top eight floors.
Designed by architect Louis Kamper, the
Book, with its towering Ionic columns,
Corinthian pilasters, and graceful
arched windows, is in the neoclassical
style, with some geometric Art Deco
touches tossed into the mix.
For the designers, both fans of Detroit
and its history, nabbing the chance to
design the historic spot was a dream. In
fact, their own design studio is located
in a 1915 building designed by Albert
Kahn in the up-and-coming east-side
neighborhood called Islandview, so
named for its proximity to Belle Isle.
“There is such an amazing energy in
Detroit,” Nelson says during a visit to
the designers’ light-flooded studio on
Bellevue. “That’s why Lauren and I
wanted to be in the city; we wanted to be
part of something greater than ourselves.
“
We get to do this! It
was a big moment for
us.
”
“When we came out of the hotel for
the first time, we had tears in our eyes,
saying, ‘We get to do this!’ It was a big
moment for us.”
As it happened, their client is also
a Detroit booster who wanted her
surroundings to reflect the building’s
1920s flavor.
“She loves and respects Detroit and the
history of the building, so we wanted
that Art Deco flair to be reflected in
that,” DeLaurentiis says. Those Art
Deco touches include black marble
In 1924, it was the
tallest hotel in the
world, providing
exquisite hospitality to
celebrities, statesmen,
and well-heeled
travelers.
That was a far cry from its glory days
when, after completion in 1924, it was
the tallest hotel in the world, providing
exquisite hospitality to celebrities,
statesmen, and well-heeled travelers. But
like many aging buildings in Detroit in
the ’80s, the grande dame had declined
into a sad state of frayed elegance.
Few then could have predicted that