When we heard late last year that the Fisher Building and neighboring Albert Kahn Building were going to be renovated, we were excited and unsure of what to expect. The Fisher Building is known as Detroit’s largest art object, but years of damage has led to the first phase of restoration, which is activating the arcade.

Opened in 1928 by the Fisher brothers (of “Body by Fisher” fame), the Albert Kahn-designed Fisher Building has some of the most detailed craftsmanship and artwork in the world. The frescos, mosaics, and sculpture were designed by Geza R. Maroti, an artist from Budapest, Hungary. The artwork in the Fisher represents two major ideas: the wealth and power of the U.S. expressed through commerce and transportation, and American culture and civilization through music and drama.

Creating the elaborate canvas in the arcade only took Maroti two months with the help of two other painters.

For this phase of restoration, The Platform hired EverGreene Architectural Arts. The New York-based group is a leader in the preservation and conservation of murals and decorative work. Their work includes the Chrysler Building in NYC, Orchestra Hall in Detroit, and the Library of Congress, U.S. Capitol, and Union Station in D.C.

EverGreene is restoring damaged plaster on the ceiling that’s resulted from water damage over the years. They’ve taken tracings from some of the designs to recreate the damaged parts. They’re also trying to match original colors. An artist with EverGreene told us that sometimes the colors they’re using seem too bright at first, but they’re working with and trying to match what’s there.

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“Without the rebirth of the Fisher Building, there is no rebirth of New Center,” says Peter Cummings, co-principal of The Platform. “As stewards of this building, we carry the responsibility to return the building to its former glory as the centerpiece for the rebirth of New Center and the rest of the city.”

The restoration of the Fisher Building will occur over a few phases. Naturally, they want to bring it back to looking like the world class building that it is. In this first phase, they’ll also be working on the elevators and the HVAC - the arcade wasn’t built with a cooling mechanism.

The Fisher Building arcade restoration will cost about $500,000 when all is said and done. There’s not an exact timeline right now, but the restoration of an iconic building takes patience. The Platform is focused on breathing new life into New Center. New tenants for the Fisher Building should be announced in the coming weeks.

Also part of the restoration is the reactivation of the arcade, which includes a rotating art exhibit. The Beacon Project currently features a series on Makers around the city, and the photos were shot by our own Michelle & Chris Gerard. This display runs another two months.

“The restoration work and programming are about reactivating the Fisher’s arcade as the great public space it was intended to be,” said Dietrich Knoer, co-principal of The Platform. “In so many ways, the Fisher is really the beacon of Detroit.”