Book Tower is a 476ft (145m) tall skyscraper in Detroit, Michigan. Designed by Louis Kamper, the building was completed in 1926 as the city's tallest building, a title it held for only 2 short years before the completion of the Greater Penobscot Building. Compared to Detroit's more sleek Art Deco architecture, the Book Tower stands out as a richly ornamented, Renaissance-Revival building.The more famous tower portion of the building is the 2nd phase of what was meant to be a 3-phase complex. The shorter, bulkier Book Building was built first in 1916. The tower was then adjoined at the Northern end of the building. In a never-built 3rd phase of construction, an 81-story addition, designed again by Louis Kemper, was planned at the Southern end of the Book Building. If the onset of the Great Depression didn't cancel these plans, it could have been the tallest building in the world.In the years since its construction, the Book Tower has fallen into disrepair and neglect. Before an ongoing renovation project, the building sat abandoned for many years with its ornate stonework collecting grime.
This model aims to recreate the Book Tower in its original glory, one that its current renovation will hopefully restore in real life as well.
This model has multiple printing options. One file contains the full Book Building + Tower in one file (BookTowerComplete.stl). You may also print the tower and building separately to be attached later (BookTowerOnly.stl + BookBuildingOnly.stl). There is also an option to print just the tower with its facade mirrored North/South so there are no blank walls where it would otherwise connect to the its adjacent building (BookTowerMirrored.stl).