“For the lobby lamps,” said dPop Lead Designer Kristin Kostrzewski, “we used reproductions and creatively adapted fixtures. Drop-ceilings that obscured its beauty for decades have been ripped out to reveal arched ceilings that give the space unexpected airiness and height. The first shock to anyone who worked in The News building is the impressive, historically accurate restoration of the lobby.
In 2014, The News and the Detroit Free Press, which moved into the bottom floors in 1998, relocated to Minoru Yamasaki’s elegant, modernist annex attached to the 1927 Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago building a block off Campus Martius. News Publisher Booth hired his friend Albert Kahn in 1916 to design the blocklong building, which the newspaper occupied until several years ago when the landmark was sold to Bedrock. Specially designed banquettes? A conference table with seats on swings? Floors completely cleared of all walls and barriers? “We’ve had a blast designing the space,” said furniture designer Chrissy Fehan of dPop, the outfit that does interiors on all buildings renovated by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock real-estate empire.It’s great to have a client who lets us do these things.” Who isn't interested in seeing what the new owners do to your house after the sale?Ī visit last week to the old Detroit News building on West Lafayette led to one simple conclusion: Wow - they’ve done a lot, from custom-made furniture to a historically restored lobby and fun newspaper allusions throughout the building design. Since Bedrock Real Estate purchased The Detroit News building in 2014, the company has gutted the structure and created a modern workspace with custom-designed furniture by local craftsmen