Editing Penobscot Building (section)

==Architecture==
The architect [[Wirt C. Rowland]], of the prominent [[SmithGroup|Smith Hinchman & Grylls]] firm based in Detroit, designed the Penobscot in an elaborate [[Art Deco]] style in 1928. Clad in [[Indiana Limestone]] with a [[granite]] base, it rises like a sheer cliff for thirty stories, then has a series of setbacks culminating in a red [[neon]] [[beacon]] tower. Like many of the city's other [[Roaring Twenties]] buildings, it displays Art Deco influences, including its "H" shape (designed to allow maximum sunlight into the building) and the sculptural setbacks that cause the upper floors to progressively "erode".

The opulent Penobscot is one of many buildings in Detroit that features [[architectural sculpture]] by [[Corrado Parducci]]. The ornamentation includes [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] motifs, particularly in the entrance archway and in metalwork found in the lobby. At night, the building's upper floors are lit in floodlight fashion, topped with a red sphere.

The building's architect, Wirt C. Rowland, also designed other Detroit skyscrapers, such as the [[Guardian Building]] and the [[Buhl Building]], in the same decade.

===Penobscot Block===
The tower is also connected to two older and smaller buildings, the 1905 [[Penobscot Building (1905)|Penobscot Building]] and the [[Penobscot Building Annex]] (1916). Together, the buildings comprise the [[Penobscot Block]], located at Griswold Street and West Fort Street. The ''Greater Penobscot'' was the last portion of the complex to be developed.