Albert Kahn (March 21, 1869 – December 8, 1942) was an American industrial

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

. He was accredited the architect of Detroit and designed industrial plant complexes such as the Ford River Rouge automobile complex. He designed the construction of Detroit skyscrapers and office buildings as well as mansions in the city suburbs. He led an organization of hundreds of architect associates and in 1937, designed 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. Under a unique contract in 1929, Kahn established a design and training office in Moscow, sending twenty-five staff there to train Soviet architects and engineers, and to design hundreds of industrial buildings under their first five-year plan. They trained more than 4,000 architects and engineers using Kahn's concepts. In 1943, the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memori ...

posthumously awarded Kahn the Frank P. Brown Medal.

Biography

Kahn was born on March 21, 1869, to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Rhaunen Rhaunen is an '' Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was the seat of the former ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Rhaune ...

, in the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

. He received his early education in the school of

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

. At age twelve in 1881, Kahn immigrated with his family to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. His father Joseph was trained as a

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

; his mother Rosalie had a talent for the visual arts and music. Kahn had four brothers, including Moritz, who became an engineer, and

Julius Kahn Julius Kahn may refer to: *Julius Kahn (inventor) (1874–1942), engineer of reinforced concrete *Julius Kahn (congressman) Julius Kahn (February 28, 1861 – December 18, 1924) was a United States Congressman who was succeeded by his wife ...

, an engineer and inventor, who later collaborated with him in his architectural firm. They also had two sisters. Kahn quickly learned English and went to Detroit public schools. In 1883, he got a job at the architectural business of Mason and Rice where he got his initial architectural training. While working there he primarily designed residences and bank buildings. In 1891, at age 22, he won a Rotch Traveling Fellowship to study in Europe, where he toured Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium with

Henry Bacon Henry Bacon (November 28, 1866February 16, 1924) was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (built 1915–1922), which was his final project. Education and early career Henr ...

, another young architecture student. Bacon later designed the

Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...

that is located in

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After leaving Mason & Rice in 1895, Kahn joined in a partnership with Alexander B. Trowbridge and George W. Nettleton known as Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge. He married Ernestine Krolik in 1896 and they had four children. Kahn, in 1902, formed a partnership with his brother Julius, a civil engineer. Later that year, Julius developed a novel and scientific method of reinforcing concrete with steel, making reinforced concrete construction practical and economical. After receiving a patent on the "Kahn System" of construction in 1903, Julius left Kahn's firm and established the

Trussed Concrete Steel Company The Trussed Concrete Steel Company was founded in 1903 by Julius Kahn, an engineer and inventor. Its headquarters were in Detroit, Michigan, and its steel factory was in Youngstown, Ohio. The long company name changed to a shortened versi ...

, or Truscon, to market the product. Reinforced concrete allowed for much larger open spaces within factory interiors not obtainable with conventional wood construction and at a lower cost than steel frame construction. Concrete had other beneficial characteristics, such as far better protection from fire and greater load bearing capacity. By 1905, hundreds of buildings within the United States were being constructed using the Kahn System, including the first reinforced concrete automobile plant, completed for the Cadillac Motor Car Company at 450 Amsterdam Street in Detroit. Julius Kahn collaborated with his brother on the design of many industrial projects throughout the US constructed with reinforced concrete, particularly automobile factories, with the result that Kahn became widely known for his expertise in the construction of concrete industrial structures. Packard plant no 10 construction

Kahn was also responsible for designing many of the buildings and houses built under direction of the Hiram Walker family in

Walkerville, Ontario Walkerville, Ontario, is a former town in Canada, that is today a heritage precinct of Windsor, Ontario. The town was founded by Hiram Walker in 1890, owner and producer of Canadian Club Whisky. Walker planned it as a 'model town’, (originally ...

, including

Willistead Manor Willistead Manor is a historic house located in the former town of Walkerville, Ontario, now part of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Willistead Manor was designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn in the 16th-century Tudor-Jacobean style of an English ...

. Kahn's interest in historically styled buildings is also seen in his houses in Detroit's Indian Village, the Cranbrook House, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, and

The Dearborn Inn The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel, is a luxurious historic hotel, conceived by Henry Ford, who saw a need for food and accommodations for visitors flying into the nearby Ford Airport (Dearborn), Ford Airport, making it one of the first airport h ...

, the world's first airport hotel. Kahn's firm designed the

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

Fisher Building The Fisher Building is a landmark skyscraper located at 3011 West Grand Boulevard in the heart of the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. The ornate 30-story building, completed in 1928, is one of the major works of architect Albert Kahn, and ...

in Detroit's New Center area, a 28-story designated landmark. In 1929, the building was awarded a silver medal by the

Architectural League of New York The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture, urbanism, and related disciplines". The league dates from 1881, when Cass Gilbert organized meetings at the Salmagundi Club for ...

in the category of the year's most beautiful commercial building. From 1917 to 1929, Kahn's firm also designed the corporate headquarters for all three of the major Detroit daily newspapers and the

General Motors building A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

, at the time of its completion in 1922, the second largest office building in the world. His work was part of the architecture event in the art competition at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

In the Soviet Union

On May 8, 1929, through an agreement signed with Kahn by Saul G. Bron, President of

Amtorg Amtorg Trading Corporation, also known as Amtorg (short for ''Amerikanskaya Torgovlya'', russian: Амторг), was the first trade representation of the Soviet Union in the United States, established in New York in 1924 by merging Armand Hammer ...

, the

Soviet government The Government of the Soviet Union ( rus, Прави́тельство СССР, p=prɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲstvə ɛs ɛs ɛs ˈɛr, r=Pravítelstvo SSSR, lang=no), formally the All-Union Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly ab ...

contracted Albert Kahn Associates to help design the

Stalingrad Tractor Plant , romanized_name = , former_name = , type = Open joint-stock company , traded_as = , industry = Machinery, Defence , fate = , predecessor = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct = , hq_location_c ...

, the first tractor plant in the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. On January 9, 1930, a second contract with Kahn was signed for his firm to become consulting architects for all industrial construction in the Soviet Union. Under these contracts, during 1929–1932 and the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, Kahn's firm established a design and training bureau in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

to train and supervise Soviet architects and engineers. This bureau, under the government's ''

Gosproektstroi Gosproektstroi ( rus, Госпроектстрой, p=ˌɡosprɐˌɛktˈstroj; 1930–1932) was the State Design and Construction Bureau in Moscow, Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). This organization was set up in 1930 following ...

'', was headed by Moritz Kahn and 25 others of Kahn Associates staff, who worked in Moscow during this project. They trained more than 4,000 Soviet architects and engineers; and designed 521 plants and factories under the nation's

first five-year plan The first five-year plan (russian: I пятилетний план, ) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a list of economic goals, created by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, based on his policy of socialism in ...

Michigan

Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...

became interested in Kahn's unique designs that showed many benefits. Ford had Kahn design

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

Highland Park Ford Plant The Highland Park Ford Plant is a former Ford Motor Company factory located at 91 Manchester Avenue (at Woodward Avenue) in Highland Park, Michigan. It was the second American production facility for the Model T automobile and the first facto ...

in 1909, for developing production techniques in the

assembly line An assembly line is a manufacturing process (often called a ''progressive assembly'') in which parts (usually interchangeable parts) are added as the semi-finished assembly moves from workstation to workstation where the parts are added in seq ...

of manufacturing the

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...

on a large scale. In 1917, Kahn designed the half-mile-long Ford River Rouge Complex in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...

. That factory complex was developed into the largest manufacturing cluster of plants in the United States and later the largest industrial manufacturer in the world with a workforce of 120,000 employees. Kahn also designed many of what are considered the classic buildings of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in city of

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

. These include the

Burton Memorial Tower The Burton Memorial Tower is a clock tower located on Central Campus at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor at 230 North Ingalls Street. Housing a grand carillon, the tower was built in 1936 as a memorial for University President Marion ...

, the

Hill Auditorium Hill Auditorium is the largest performance venue on the University of Michigan campus, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The auditorium was named in honor of Arthur Hill (1847-1909), who served as a regent of the university from 1901 to 1909. He bequeath ...

, the Hatcher Graduate Library, and the William L. Clements Library. Kahn said later in life that, of all the buildings he designed, he wanted most to be remembered for his work on the William L. Clements Library. Kahn frequently collaborated with architectural sculptor

Corrado Parducci Corrado Giuseppe Parducci (March 10, 1900 – November 22, 1981) was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early-20th century works. Early life and education Parducci was born in Buti, Italy, a ...

. In all, Parducci worked on about 50 Kahn commissions, including banks, office buildings, newspaper buildings, mausoleums, hospitals, and private residences. Kahn's firm was able to adapt to the changing needs of World War I and designed numerous army airfield and naval bases for the United States government during the war. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Kahn and his firm was in charge of several of the U.S. government's important construction projects that included aeronautical and tank arsenal plants. His 600-person office was involved in making Detroit industry part of America's

Arsenal of Democracy "Arsenal of Democracy" was the central phrase used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio broadcast on the threat to national security, delivered on December 29, 1940—nearly a year before the United States entered the Second Worl ...

. Among others, the office designed the

Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant Detroit Arsenal (DTA), formerly Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (DATP) was the first manufacturing plant ever built for the mass production of tanks in the United States. Established in 1940 under Chrysler, the plant was owned by the U.S. governmen ...

, and the

Willow Run Willow Run, also known as Air Force Plant 31, was a manufacturing complex in Michigan, United States, located between Ypsilanti Township and Belleville, built by the Ford Motor Company to manufacture aircraft, especially the B-24 Liberator hea ...

Bomber Plant, Kahn's last building, located in

Ypsilanti, Michigan Ypsilanti (), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 20,648. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and ...

. The Ford Motor Company mass-produced

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

bombers here. In 1937, Albert Kahn Associates was responsible for 19% of all architect-designed industrial factories in the United States. In 1941, Kahn received the eighth-highest salary and compensation package in the U.S., $486,936, of which he paid 72% in tax. Kahn worked on more than 1,000 commissions from Henry Ford and hundreds from other automakers. Kahn designed showrooms for Ford Motor Company in several cities, including New York,

and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. As of 2020, approximately 60 Kahn buildings were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Five of these (the

, Ford River Rouge complex,

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House is a mansion located at 1100 Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, Grosse Pointe Shores, northeast of Detroit, Michigan; it stands on the site known as "Gaukler Point", on the shore of Lake St. Clair ...

General Motors Building A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

, and

) were designated

National Historic Landmarks A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. Not all of Kahn's works have been preserved.

Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.

in Detroit, designed by

Malcomson and Higginbotham Malcomson and Higginbotham was an architectural firm started in the nineteenth century and based in Detroit, Michigan. A successor firm, Malcomson-Greimel and Associates, still exists in Rochester, Michigan as of 2010. History Architects William G. ...

and built by Kahn's firm in 1922, was demolished in 2011, after vandals had stripped it of most of its fixtures. The Donovan Building, later occupied by

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

, was abandoned for decades and deteriorated. The city demolished it as part of its beautification plan before the 2006

Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion f ...

. In

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

, Michigan, the Kahn designed Checker Cab Manufacturing plant was shuttered following the bankruptcy of

Checker Motors Corporation Checker Motors Corporation was a Kalamazoo, Michigan, vehicle manufacturer and tier-one subcontractor that manufactured taxicabs used by Checker Taxi. Morris Markin established the company in 1922, initially named the Checker Cab Manufacturing ...

, in 2009. It was leveled in 2015. Fifteen Kahn buildings are recognized by official Michigan historical markers: EdselFordHouse1

Battle Creek Post Office The Old Battle Creek Post Office is a former post office located at 67 East Michigan Avenue in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United S ...

* Detroit Arsenal Plant in Warren, Michigan * Detroit Free Press Building * Detroit News Building * Detroit Urban League (Albert Kahn House) * Eastern Liggett School * Edsel & Eleanor Ford House *

Ford Motor Company Lamp Factory The Ford Motor Co. Lamp Factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, was the product of a unique collaboration between industrialist Henry Ford and his lead designer, Albert Kahn (architect), Albert Kahn. Albert Kahn Associates is a large Detroit firm that did ...

* Grosse Pointe Shores Village Hall *

Packard Automotive Plant The Packard Automotive Plant is a former automobile-manufacturing factory in Detroit, Michigan, where luxury cars were made by the Packard Motor Car Company and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation. In 2022, it was scheduled for demolitio ...

Packard Proving Grounds The Packard Proving Grounds (the remains of which are now called the Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex), was a proving ground established in Shelby Charter Township, Michigan in 1927 by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit. It is liste ...

Kahn-designed buildings

The Detroit News Building, The World's Greatest Newspaper Plant, The Institutional Character of

Ann Arbor August 2013 12 (Ann Arbor News Building)

Kahn has been called the "architect of Detroit" and designed almost 900 buildings in the city. Below is a listing of some of those buildings. All are located in Detroit, unless otherwise indicated. * Dexter M. Ferry summer residence, 1890 (remodeling of an early 19th-century stone farmhouse),

Unadilla, New York Unadilla is a town in Otsego County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 4,392. The name is derived from an Iroquois word for "meeting place". Unadilla is located in the southwestern corner of the county, ...

(known as Milfer Farm, held by Ferry heirs today; Kahn also designed the "Honeymoon Cottage" on the estate, one of the earliest prefabricated houses built) * Hiram Walker offices, 1892, designer for Mason & Rice,

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

William Livingstone House The William Livingstone House (commonly called Slumpy) was a house constructed in 1894 and located in the Brush Park district of Detroit, Michigan. William Livingstone Jr. (1844–1925), publisher of the '' Detroit Evening Journal'', was the secon ...

, 1894 designer for Mason & Rice (demolished, 2007) *Children's Free Hospital, 1896, Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge *Bethany Memorial Church, 1897, Nettleton, Kahn & Trowbridge *

Bernard Ginsburg House The Bernard Ginsburg House is a single-family private residence located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Brush Park district. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Significance The Bernard Ginsburg House is ...

, 1898, Nettleton & Kahn *Joseph R. McLaughlin, 1899, Nettleton & Kahn *George Headley, 1900, Nettleton & Kahn *Edward DeMille Campbell House, 1899, Nettleton & Kahn

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

*Detroit Racquet Club, 1902 (Kahn designed the building, and the Vinton Company, whose offices were just down Woodbridge Street from the club, was awarded the general contract for erecting the facilities) *Frederick L. Colby, building permit issued 5/22/1901, finished 1902 *

, 1903 (Kahn's tenth factory built for Packard, but first concrete one) *

Palms Apartments The Palms is an apartment building located at 1001 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. It was one of the first buildings in the United States to use reinforced concrete as one of its major construction materials. It was listed on the Natio ...

, 1903 * Temple Beth-El, 1903 (Kahn's home synagogue, now the Bonstelle Theatre of

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

) * Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory, 1904 *Francis C. McMath, building permit issued 8/14/1902 finished 1904 * Brandeis-Millard House, 1904, Gold Coast Historic District, Midtown

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

*Arthur Kiefer, building permit issued 5/17/1905, finished 1905 *Charles M. Swift, 1905 *

Albert Kahn House The Albert Kahn House is in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Brush Park district. It is currently the headquarters of the Detroit Urban League. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Regi ...

, 1906 (his personal residence) *Burham S. Colburn, building permit issued 8/7/1905, finished 1906 *Gustavus D. Pope, 1906 *Julian C. Madison Building, 1906 *Allen F. Edwards, building permit issued 5/23/1906, finished 1906 *George N. Pierce Plant, 1906,

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, 1906, Windsor, Ontario *

, 1907,

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, Michigan, Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle C ...

(building featuring the concrete construction method used in Kahn's Packard plant) *Cranbrook House, 1907,

Cranbrook Educational Community The Cranbrook Educational Community is an education, research, and public museum complex in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. This National Historic Landmark was founded in the early 20th century by newspaper mogul George Gough Booth. It consists of Cra ...

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Bloomfield Hills is a small city (5.04 sq. miles) in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is approximately northwest of Downtown Detroit. Except a small southern border with the city of Bir ...

*Service Building for the Packard Motor Car Company, 1907, New York City *Frederick H. Holt House, 1907 *

, 1908,

Highland Park, Michigan Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,977 at the 2020 census. Along with its neighbor of Hamtramck, Highland Park is an enclave city surrounded by the city of Detroit. History The area tha ...

Edwin S. George Building The Edwin S. George Building, built in 1908, is located at 4612 Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, at the corner of Woodward and Garfield. In 1914, the name was changed to the Garfield Building. It was listed on the National Register of ...

, 1908 *Kaufman Footwear Building, 1908,

Kitchener, Ontario ) , image_flag = Flag of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , image_seal = Seal of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_shield=Coat of arms of Kitchener, Canada.svg , image_blank_emblem = Logo of Kitchener, Ontario.svg , blank_emblem_type = ...

(renovated into lofts in the early 2000s) *Mahoning National Bank, 1909,

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

Frederick Stearns Building The Frederick Stearns Building is a manufacturing plant located at 6533 East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1981. ...

addition, c. 1910 *

Packard Motor Corporation Building The Packard Motor Car Company Building, also known as the Press Building, is a historic office building located at 317–321 N. Broad Street between Pearl and Wood Streets in the Callowhill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The structu ...

, 1910–11,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

* Chalmers automobile plant, building permit issued 11/6/1909, finished 1911 *Merganthaler Linotype Company Buildings, 1910s-1920s,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

* National Theatre, 1911 *Shaw Walker Company, Five-story expansion, 1912,

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expa ...

Bates Mill The Bates Mill is a textile factory company founded in 1850 and located at 35 Canal Street in Lewiston, Maine. The mill served as Maine's largest employer through the 1860s, and early profits from the mill provided much of the initial capital for ...

Building Number 5, 1914,

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...

*Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1914,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

(

Cleveland Institute of Art The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio. History The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at fir ...

since 1981) *

Kales Building The Kales Building is a high-rise apartment building in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It is located 76 West Adams at the northeast corner of Adams Avenue West and Park Avenue, across from Grand Circus Park, in the Foxtown neighborhood, just north ...

, 1914 * Liggett School-Eastern Campus, 1914 (

Detroit Waldorf School The Detroit Waldorf School is a private PreK-8 Waldorf school located at 2555 Burns, Detroit, Michigan in an Albert Kahn-designed school in the historic Indian Village neighborhood. In 2016, the building was designated a Michigan State Historic ...

since 1964) *Benjamin Siegel, 1913-1914 *

Detroit Athletic Club The Detroit Athletic Club (often referred to as the DAC) is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. It is located across the street from Detroit's historic Music Hall ...

, 1915 * Garden Court Apartments, 1915
Buffalo Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant
1915,

* Vinton Building, 1916 *

Russell Industrial Center The Russell Industrial Center is an industrial factory turned to commercial complex of studios and shops that is located at 1600 Clay Street in Detroit, Michigan. The Russell Industrial Center is a , seven building complex, designed by Albert Kahn ...

, 1916 * Omaha Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1916,

North Omaha, Nebraska North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the ea ...

*Ford Motor Company - Assembly Plant, 1916, remodeled in 1924, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma *Belt Line Center - Manufacturing Plant, 1916, Detroit, Michigan *

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

Building, 1917 *Ford Motor Company New York Headquarters, 1917, New York City * Ford River Rouge Complex, 1917–28,

*Multiple buildings and Aircraft Maintenance Hangars (Bldg 777&781), 1917–19,

Langley Field Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...

Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...

*Motor Wheel Factory, 1918,

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

(currently being renovated into residential lofts) *

, 1919 (former GM world headquarters and second largest office building in the world at that time) * Dominion Tire Plant, 1919, Kitchener, Ontario * Fisher Body Plant 23, 1919 * First Congregational Church addition, 1921 * Phoenix Mill, 1921,

Plymouth, Michigan Plymouth is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States. The population was 9,370 at the 2020 census. The city of Plymouth is surrounded by Plymouth Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Plymouth is a western suburb of Metro ...

First National Building The First National Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Detroit Financial District. The building is located across the streets from Cadillac Tower and One Detroit Center, and stands next to ...

, 1922 *

Park Avenue Building The Park Avenue Building is a 12-story beaux-arts high-rise located at 2001–2017 Park Avenue in the Grand Circus Park Historic District The Grand Circus Park Historic District contains the Grand Circus Park in Downtown Detroit, Michigan th ...

, 1922 *Former Detroit Police Headquarters, 1923 * Temple Beth El, 1923 (a new building to replace the 1903 temple, currently occupied by the Bethel Community Transformation Center) *Walker Power Plant, 1923, Windsor, Ontario *

The Flint Journal ''The Flint Journal'' is a quad-weekly newspaper based in Flint, Michigan, owned by Booth Newspapers, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties. ...

Building, 1924,

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

*Olde Building, 1924 * Ford Motor Company assembly plant, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1924 *

, 1921–25,

Flat Rock, Michigan Flat Rock is a city mostly in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. A very small portion of the city extends into Monroe County. At the 2010 census, the city population was 9,878. History Flat Rock began as a Wyandot settlement. It was la ...

* Detroit Free Press Building, 1925 *Kalamazoo Gazette Building, 1925, now Bronson Labs - 2020 * 1001 Covington Apartments, 1925 *Blake Building, 1926,

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

*Ford Hangar, 1926,

Lansing Municipal Airport Lansing Municipal Airport is a public airport located south of Chicago, in Lansing, a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is owned by the Village of Lansing. Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identi ...

Lansing, Illinois Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Lansing is a south suburb of Chicago. The population was 29,076 at the 2020 census. Geography Lansing is located at (41.565785, -87.545791). It is south of the Chicago city limits a ...

Packard Motor Car Showroom and Storage Facility Packard Motor Car Showroom and Storage Facility is a historic automobile showroom located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. It is a three-story, reinforced concrete frame structure with restrained Neo-classical detailing. It was designed b ...

, c. 1926,

, 1926, Shelby Charter Township, Michigan *Packard Showroom, 1926, New York City *Consumers Power Company headquarters, 1927,

(demolished, 2013) * S. S. Kresge World Headquarters, 1927 * Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, 1927,

Grosse Pointe Shores Grosse Pointe Shores is a city in Macomb and Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,008 at the 2010 census. Grosse Pointe Shores was incorporated as a village in 1911 and was part of Grosse Pointe Township in Wayne ...

, 1927
Buffalo Ford Motor Company Car Showroom
1927,

*Muskegon Chronicle Building, 1928,

Argonaut Building The Argonaut Building, renamed in 2009 the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education (originally the Argonaut, or General Motors Research Laboratory), is a large office building located at 485 West Milwaukee Avenue in the New Center area of D ...

1928 (General Motors laboratory, now owned by the

College for Creative Studies College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a private art school in Detroit, Michigan. It enrolls more than 1,400 students and focuses on arts education. The college is also active in offering art education to children through its Community Arts Par ...

) *Brooklyn Printing Plant (New York Times), 1929, Brooklyn, New York City *

Detroit Times Six different newspapers called the ''Detroit Times'' have been published in the city of Detroit; the most recent existed for six decades, from 1900-60. Overview *The first iteration of the ''Detroit Times'' was an antislavery bulletin only print ...

Building, 1929 (demolished, 1978) * Griswold Building, 1929 *Packard Service Building, 1929, New York City * Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, 1930,

Richmond, California Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was municipal corporation, incorporated on August 7, 1905, and has a Richmond, California City Council, city council.

* Ford Engineering Laboratory and Powerhouse, 1930, Dearborn Michigan * New Center Building, 1930 (adjacent to the Fisher Building) *

, 1931, Dearborn, Michigan (world's first airport hotel) *Former

Congregation Shaarey Zedek Congregation Shaarey Zedek (/ ʃaʔaˈʁeiː ˈtsedek/; transl. 'Gates of Righteousness', Hebrew: שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק, romanized: ''Sha'arei tzedek'') is a Conservative synagogue in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan. History T ...

Building, 1932 * Power Plant,

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

, Notre Dame, Indiana, 1933 * General Motors Building, 1933, Chicago

Century of Progress International Exposition A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositio ...

Ford Rotunda The Ford Rotunda was a tourist attraction that was originally located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and later was relocated to Dearborn, Michigan. At one point in the mid-20th century, it was the fifth most popular tourist destination ...

, 1934, Dearborn, Michigan (designed for the Chicago World's Fair; burned, 1963) *Ann Arbor Daily News Building, 1936, Ann Arbor, Michigan (now University of Michigan Credit Union) *Chevrolet/Fisher Body plant, Baltimore, Maryland, 1935 (demolished 2006) *Burroughs Adding Machine Plant, 1938, Plymouth, Michigan *Dodge Truck Plant, 1938,

Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2020 Census places the city's population at 139,387, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb. T ...

, 1941, Warren, Michigan *

Bomber Plant, 1941 (used by Ford for bombers during the war, then by

Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...

for cars, then by GM for transmissions) *Hangars A and B (later renumbered 110 and 111), 1943,

NAS Barbers Point Naval Air Station Barbers Point , on O'ahu, also called John Rodgers Field (the original name of Honolulu International Airport), is a former United States Navy airfield closed in 1999, and renamed Kalaeloa Airport. Parts of the former air station ...

Kapolei, Hawaii Kapolei () is a planned community in Honolulu County, Hawaiʻi, United States, on the island of Oʻahu. It is colloquially known as the "second city" of Oʻahu, in relation to Honolulu. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau ...

*Upjohn Tower,

Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...

(designed for the Upjohn Company; demolished after

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...

buyout, 2005) *Studebaker Factory, Building 84, 1923, South Bend, Indiana *Cold Spring Granite Company Main Plant, 1929, Cold Spring, Minnesota (demolished 2008) *King Edward Public School, 1905, Walkerville Neighbourhood, Windsor, Ontario. (demolished 1993, original front stone facade saved) *General Motors Stamping Plant, 1930, Indianapolis, Indiana (demolished 2014) *Bedrock Woodward Building 1449 Woodward *Garden Court Apartments 2900 E. Jefferson

Buildings at the University of Michigan

Below are

campus structures built during Kahn's career. Hill Auditorium 2010

*Engineering Building (now West Hall), 1904 *Psychopathic Hospital (demolished), 1906 *

, 1913 *Helen Newberry Residence Hall, 1915 *Natural Science Building (now School of Kinesiology Building), 1915 * Betsy Barbour Residence Hall, 1920 *General Library (now Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library), 1920 * William L. Clements Library, 1923 * Angell Hall, 1924 *Physical Science Building (now Randall Laboratory), 1924 *University Hospital (demolished), 1925 *Couzens Hall, 1925 *East Medical Building (previously C. C. Little Building, now North University Building), 1925 *Thomas H. Simpson Memorial Institute, 1927 * Alexander G. Ruthven Museums Building, 1928 *

, 1936 *Neuropsychiatric Institute (demolished), 1938 Greek Organization Buildings: *

Sigma Phi The Sigma Phi Society () was founded on the Fourth of March in the year 1827, on the campus of Union College as a part of the Union Triad in Schenectady, New York. It is the second Greek fraternal organization founded in the United States.

House (1900), 426 North Ingalls Street (demolished) *

Delta Upsilon Delta Upsilon (), commonly known as DU, is a collegiate men's fraternity founded on November 4, 1834 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is the sixth-oldest, all-male, college Greek Letter Organizations#Greek letters, Greek-let ...

House (1903), 1331 Hill Street *

Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, an ...

House (1905–06), 1501 Washtenaw Avenue *

Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Epsilon Phi ( or AEPhi) is a sorority and one of the members of the National Panhellenic Conference, an umbrella organization overseeing 26 North American sororities. It was founded on October 24, 1909, at Barnard College in Morningside ...

House (1912), 1205 Hill Street *

Psi Upsilon Psi Upsilon (), commonly known as Psi U, is a North American fraternity,''Psi Upsilon Tablet'' founded at Union College on November 24, 1833. The fraternity reports 50 chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America, some of which ...

House (1924), 1000 Hill Street

Death and legacy

Kahn died in Detroit on December 8, 1942. Many of his personal working papers and construction photographs are housed at University of Michigan's Bentley History Library. His personal working library, the Albert Kahn Library Collection, is housed at

Lawrence Technological University Lawrence Technological University (LTU) (Lawrence Tech) is a private university in Southfield, Michigan. It was founded in 1932 in Highland Park, Michigan, as the Lawrence Institute of Technology (LIT) by Russell E. Lawrence. The university move ...

in Southfield, Michigan. The

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...

at the Smithsonian house most of the family's correspondence and other materials. The life and works of Kahn were celebrated in an exhibition of photographs, drawings, and models at the Detroit Institute of Arts from September 15 to November 1, 1970. It commemorated the 75th anniversary of the architectural firm which was founded by Kahn. Many of Detroit's leading industrialists who work in the buildings designed by Kahn were present at the celebration. A staff writer for the Times Herald newspaper in 1970 wrote that Kahn was often called the father of industrial architecture. He was referred to as Architect of the Colossal by

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

magazine. The science museum

in Philadelphia recognized him as an architectural pioneer and awarded him their gold medal. The

American Institute of Architecture The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to sup ...

awarded him two of their gold medals in his lifetime. The staff writer estimated that Kahn was the architect of two billion dollars worth of structures before his death in 1942. The committee on science and arts of the Detroit Institute of Arts noted that none of Kahn's discoveries were ever patented, but instead were placed in the hands of architects and engineers engaged in construction during World Wars I and II. The 184 page catalogue put in book form called ''The Legacy of Albert Kahn'' consists of two essays on the works of Kahn, one by W. Hawkins Ferry the architectural writer and Honorary Curator of Architecture at the Detroit Institute of Arts and another written by Walter B. Sanders as a Professor of Architecture at the

. Detroit Free Press writer and historian John Gallagher notes that Kahn produced 1900 buildings, among them being the

, the

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

headquarters, the Ford River Rouge Complex, and many buildings on the campus of the

. He points out that what was modern in 1920, like his automobile factories that he built between 1900 and 1920 were obsolete by 1990s standards and were being torn down. Some of his other buildings at that time no longer served the purpose for which they were constructed and were being remodeled for other uses.

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

External links

Albert Kahn Research Coalition

Albert Kahn papers
from the Smithsonian

Historic Detroit — Albert Kahn

Albert Kahn papers 1896–2008

Bentley Historical Library The Bentley Historical Library is the campus archive for the University of Michigan and is located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan. Its mission is ...

, University of Michigan.
Photos and drawings of Soviet Diesel Tractor Plant

Canadian Centre for Architecture The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA; french: Centre Canadien d'Architecture) is a museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1920, rue Baile (1920, Baile Street), between rue Fort (Fort Street ...

Energized Detroit, Savor an Architectural Legacy
— ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', March 26, 2018
Walkerville

Albert Kahn Associates

Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn, Albert American neoclassical architects American people of German-Jewish descent Art Deco architects Historicist architects 1869 births 1942 deaths Concrete pioneers Architects from Detroit Artists from Detroit Culture of Detroit Jewish architects 19th-century German Jews German emigrants to the United States People from Birkenfeld (district) People from the Rhine Province 20th-century American architects Olympic competitors in art competitions

Biography

In the Soviet Union

Michigan

Kahn-designed buildings

Buildings at the University of Michigan

Death and legacy

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links