General Motors Research Laboratory

The General Motors Research Laboratory is significant for its association with the automobile industry, specifically General Motors Corporation, and for its association with two famous GM employees. Renowned architect Albert Kahn designed the building for General Motors' use as a research and engineering facility. As the home of GM Research, it was the place where hundreds of patents and products were developed from 1928 to 1956 when it was replaced by the new GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The significant events connected to the General Motors Research Laboratory deal with innovative product developments and marketing that affected broad sections of American culture.

The General Motors Research Laboratory is an eleven-story commercial building clad in brick and limestone and designed by Albert Kahn. The building was constructed in two parts, Building A in 1928 at 421 Second Avenue, and Building B in 1936 at 485 W. Milwaukee. The two parts form an 'L' shape that, along with a 1963 parking structure, take up an entire city block. Building A has eight structural bays on both the Milwaukee and Second Avenue facades. Building B has seven bays on Milwaukee, and is four bays deep. The inside corner of the 'L' is an open courtyard that provides access to loading docks and the 1963 parking garage that wraps around the south and east facades of Building B. Both parts of the building are of the same red-brown brick with limestone, brick, and cast iron ornament. A gray granite plinth wraps the north and west sides up to the middle of the first floor level. This is topped with alternating bands of brick and limestone up to the middle of the third floor. The banding is repeated at the eleventh floor and parapet.

The General Motors Research Laboratory is significant for its association with the automobile industry, specifically General Motors Corporation, and for its association with two famous GM employees. Renowned architect Albert Kahn designed the building for General Motors' use as a research and engineering facility. As the home of GM Research, it was the place where hundreds of patents and products were developed from 1928 to 1956 when it was replaced by the new GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The significant events connected to the General Motors Research Laboratory deal with innovative product developments and marketing that affected broad sections of American culture. These events are discussed under the individuals associated with them.

Brief History General Motors' real estate division, Argonaut Realty Corporation, commissioned a laboratory building from Albert Kahn Associates, to be located on the southeast corner of the intersection of Milwaukee St. and Second Ave. The archival drawings are dated June 15, 1928. However, these drawings are actually change orders to the final construction set, and the construction may have already begun at the time these were produced. The building is listed in the Detroit City Directory of 1927-1928 as a GM research lab. Argonaut Realty commissioned an addition to the 1928 building; this was constructed in 1936 and added an entrance at 485 Milwaukee. The archival drawings for the original building and the addition clearly indicate that the buildings were designed for GM's internal use only. The buildings served as the main research buildings for General Motors until the completion of the Warren Technical Center in 1956. When the research division moved out, the building became the home of Argonaut Realty, and is listed as such in the 1958 City Directory (the 1957 edition was not available). Argonaut Realty moved again, as GM completed its renovation of the Renaissance Center and consolidated its divisions in downtown Detroit, between 2000 and 2003. The Argonaut Building has been vacant since that time.

Albert Kahn, Architect (1869-1942) Architect Albert Kahn was renowned for his work in civic, industrial, educational, and commercial architecture in the greater Detroit area. He was largely responsible for designing the early factories and offices used by the Detroit-based automotive companies. His work ranged from the functional assembly plant typically devoid of ornament to Classical Revival structures drawing heavily on Greco-Roman styles and motifs. Kahn was the foremost developer of the modern factory at the beginning of the twentieth century: reinforced concrete structures with utilitarian lines yet clad in brick and with modest ornamentation to add visual warmth and human scale. His plants featured abundant natural light and ventilation, an innovation at the time. During the same period, Kahn was working with a repertoire of historic styles for his non-factory work. He favored specific architectural styles for specific purposes, as in his use of Classical Revival styles for banks (i.e. the Detroit Trust Company, 1915) and Tudor or the Arts and Crafts style for domestic architecture. For the General Motors Research Laboratory, an office and research laboratory, he chose a blend of modern and historic stylistic features he had previously used for numerous office and public buildings in Detroit. Kahn's work on the General Motors Research Laboratory included the original 1928 structure and the 1936 addition. Special features of the General Motors Research Laboratory, specific to its purpose as an automotive research facility, included a reinforced concrete structure and oversized freight elevators designed to allow automobiles to move through the eleven-story building - including onto the roof - and to dampen the vibrations of the various testing equipment. A large number of Kahn Buildings are already listed in the National Register, including Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor), and the Fisher and GM Buildings (1928 and 1922 respectively), both within one block of the General Motors Research Laboratory.

Area of Significance - Commerce - Automotive Industry General Motors is a collection of automotive and automotive-related manufacturers formed in the early part of the twentieth century for efficiency in product development, production, and marketing. It was incorporated on September 16, 1908, bringing together more than thirty companies by 1920. The company dominated U.S. auto sales for decades, due in large part to the products developed in the General Motors Research Laboratory from 1928 to 1953. One of the original "Big Three" automobile companies, GM remains one of the largest corporations in the world.

Typically, GM Research, housed in the General Motors Research Laboratory, would develop a product or process until one of the GM product lines (Oldsmobile, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, Chevrolet) was ready to refine the product and bring it to market. The multiple GM lines apparently shared engineering labs in the Research Laboratory. The 1936 drawings for the Research Laboratory addition clearly show design labs for each of the GM car divisions. The Research Laboratory may also have been the Cadillac Engineering Building referred to in several sources, as Cadillac was GM's premier line and typically received innovations first. In addition to engineering research, the General Motors Research Laboratory housed GM's Art and Colour Department that was responsible for body styling, colors, and interior trim. Until the Warren Tech Center was opened, all GM car lines were styled in the Research Laboratory. Whether in engineering or styling, in-house competition was encouraged.

Numerous advances in automotive engineering were developed, in whole or in part, in the General Motors Research Laboratory. One example, the Hydra-matic Transmission, illustrates the role the General Motors Research Laboratory played as an incubator for new technology and demonstrates GM's typical development process.

The Hydra-matic Transmission Of the many products perfected in the General Motors Research Laboratory, the development of the mass-produced, fully automatic transmission arguably had the most influence on the lives of everyday consumers. The manual shifting of gears on a running engine not only required skill but also a certain amount of strength. Furthermore, the act distracted a driver from the act of driving - a sometimes dangerous situation. The automatic transmission made driving easier and safer, and therefore broadened GM's, and the industry's, consumer base.

Earl A. Thompson, an independent engineer from the West Coast of the United States, brought his first "synchronized" transmission to Cadillac in 1924. Thompson was hired as an outside contractor at Cadillac, the GM division that sponsored his research. By 1928 Thompson and Cadillac had created four versions of the synchronized transmission. The most marketable, from the standpoint of price and efficiency, was made standard on the 1929 Cadillac. This transmission was known as the Synchromesh. The primary advantage of Thompson's system was that it brought gears up to the same speed when shifting, making for an easier transition and less "grinding." Thompson was named assistant chief engineer at Cadillac. Further refinements of his transmission appeared on the entire GM line in 1931. However, despite the improvements to shifting, the clutch and manual shifting were still required.

Early in 1932, Thompson and Cadillac Engineering committed to the development of a fully automatic transmission. The project was code-named the "Military Transmission," a name designed to reduce the number of curiosity seekers from the other GM lines that shared research space in the

The General Motors Research Laboratory is an eleven-story commercial building clad in brick and limestone and designed by Albert Kahn. The building was constructed in two parts, Building A in 1928 at 421 Second Avenue, and Building B in 1936 at 485 W. Milwaukee. The two parts form an 'L' shape that, along with a 1963 parking structure, take up an entire city block. Building A has eight structural bays on both the Milwaukee and Second Avenue facades. Building B has seven bays on Milwaukee and is four bays deep. The inside corner of the 'L' is an open courtyard that provides access to loading docks and the 1963 parking garage that wraps around the south and east facades of Building B. Both parts of the building are of the same red-brown brick with limestone, brick, and cast iron ornament. A gray granite plinth wraps the north and west sides up to the middle of the first floor level. This is topped with alternating bands of brick and limestone up to the middle of the third floor. The banding is repeated at the eleventh floor and parapet.

The corners of the building have wide brick piers. Narrower piers divide the window bays. The window bays are slightly recessed from the face of the piers. Above the third floor, the spandrel panels below each window are of brick laid to create vertical ribs. At the top two floors, the spandrel panels are of ornamental cast iron with decorative medallions.

The existing windows at all floors are single-glazed, operable, double-hung aluminum sash. At the eleventh and ninth floors, the windows have round arched tops. At the tenth and eleventh floors, pairs of windows are mulled together. The existing sash were installed in 1973. Archival photographs and drawings show the original windows were a narrow metal industrial-style sash.

With the exception of the west elevation (Second Avenue) storefronts, the original window openings have not been altered. The ground floor of the west elevation and the two western bays of the north and south elevations originally had two-story, rectangular storefront window openings and housed a Pontiac dealership. The storefronts were divided into four windows probably at the time the addition was constructed; the same granite, brick, and limestone used on the original and addition facades separate the new windows.

The roof is not visible from the ground. With the exception of the projecting dome of the eleventh floor photo studio, the roof is flat. There are several elevator housings and mechanical penthouses.

North Elevation -- Milwaukee Street The General Motors Research Laboratory is directly across Milwaukee Street from the former General Motors Building. The north elevation of the General Motors Research Laboratory contains the main ground level entrances, one each for the 485 and 495 addresses. The original drawings and archival photographs show metal canopies at these entrances; the canopies are now gone. The doors have been replaced and the configuration has changed. The new doors are metal and glass. The doors at 485 appear to date to the 1973 window sash replacement, as they are of the same dark bronze aluminum. The doors at 495 are of stainless steel from an undetermined date. The original doors appear (from photographs) to have been of wood.

At the fifth floor level, there is a skywalk that links the General Motors Research Laboratory to the GM Building. A skywalk was originally installed in 1940, shortly after the completion of Building B. The existing skywalk is a later replacement.

There are three garage door openings and three other minor entrances on the north elevation. All of the openings are original; the doors are not.

East Elevation -- Cass Street With the exception of the southern bay, the east elevation of Building A lacks the limestone banding and arched windows found at the other elevations. This elevation also contains a fire escape (from the sixth floor down) and numerous applied mechanical/electrical ducting. There is a one-story loading dock at the inside corner of the "L" formed by the meeting of the east elevation and part of the south elevation of Building A. A parking garage covers the lower five floors of the east elevation of Building B. The upper floors of Building B are identical in design and materials to the north and west elevations.

South Elevation -- Baltimore Street The six western bays of the south elevation are identical in design and materials to the north and west elevations. This section also contains a fire escape (from the sixth floor down) and a garage door opening similar to those at the north elevation. The fire escape and openings are original; the doors are not.

The east half of the south elevation is the utility courtyard, with two loading docks, mechanical equipment, and the entrance to the parking garage. This portion also lacks the limestone banding and arched windows found at the other sections. There are numerous applied mechanical/electrical ducts.

West Elevation -- Second Avenue Although the most prominent facade, there are no longer any doors on the west elevation. As discussed above, the original storefronts were infilled. Archival drawings and photos dating from 1929 show two sets of double doors with large canopies.

Parking Garage The five-story 1963 parking garage wraps around the south and east elevations of Building B. It is of reinforced concrete construction with brown metal panels at the sides and ends. It has no historic features.

Landscaping The landscaping consists of street trees in the public right of way on Milwaukee Avenue. There are no historic landscape features.

Interiors The structural system of the building is unusual for a building of this height. The structure is reinforced concrete, typically used only for structures up to about eight stories due to the inefficiencies in weight, construction, and cost. In 1929, taller buildings would have been (and still are) constructed out of steel.

Architect Albert Kahn had over twenty years' experience with reinforced concrete by 1928 and chose the General Motors Research Laboratory's massive structure to allow for vehicle traffic at the interior. As the building was intended as a testing lab for General Motors' automobiles, all floors were designed for the static and dynamic load of automobile traffic and engine testing equipment. The eleventh floor of Building B housed the photography studio where cars were photographed for marketing materials. The roof was also used for photographing new cars and models under development. It offered natural light and secrecy from spying competitors.

Several large freight elevators were installed to move the cars up and down the building. These elevators still exist. The cabs and trim of the original passenger elevators were replaced at an undetermined time. Another existing bank of passenger elevators was installed at the former location of one of the freight elevators.

The ground level and basement of Building A are currently being used for automotive storage or preparation. The basement of Building B is used for maintenance equipment. Upper floors of Building A were entirely converted to offices by the time GM left the building in 2000. The offices are a combination of individual and open plan offices, all with modern finishes. The floors are carpeted or have vinyl tile. The walls are of plaster, gypsum board, or demountable partitions. Lighting is provided by fluorescent fixtures flush with the dropped acoustical tile ceilings. At areas where the dropped ceiling has been removed, the original ceiling, which is the exposed underside of the concrete floor above, is visible. Archival drawings and photographs indicate that, except for select "public" areas, the original ceilings were simply painted, with the concrete beams left exposed.

Building B retains some floors or partial floors devoted to research. These remaining research areas typically have unfinished concrete floors, wood, or linoleum finishes. The walls are of painted plaster or brick. The ceilings are as described above. Exposed fluorescent fixtures hung on posts or chains from the ceiling provide the lighting.

Stylistic Influences The designs of the original 1928 structure and the 1936 addition are very similar. The buildings are divided horizontally into base, shaft, and capital, as commonly found in early skyscrapers. The gray granite plinth and limestone banding to the third floor create the base. The capital, formed by the top floors and parapet, repeats the banding of the base and adds round-arched windows and ornamented cast iron spandrel panels. The banding is a stylization of the rusticated masonry featured prominently in Italian Romanesque architecture and frequently imitated during the late 1920s. Brick piers form the shaft and window bays; the vertical emphasis makes the buildings seem taller. The verticality, simplified ornamentation, and chunky top floor are reminiscent of Eliel Saarinen's second-place design for the Chicago Tribune Tower design competition of 1922. The sophisticated reinforced concrete structure of the buildings was an extension of Albert Kahn's ground-breaking factories. The repetition of identically sized windows and cast iron details can be interpreted as a celebration of mass production.

The General Motors Research Laboratory was GM's research and engineering building and is less elaborate than the former General Motors Building directly across the street, also designed by Albert Kahn. The General Motors Building is based on the same design principles of division into base, shaft, and capital. It is clad in stone and has rich ornamentation, particularly at the interior. The base of the GM building is a two-story arcade and the capital is composed of a line of columns wrapping around the top of the building. The GM building was the public face of one of America's largest corporations. At the time of its construction, it was the second largest office building in the world. It is larger, taller, and more ornate than the General Motors Research Laboratory. In this sense, the General Motors Research Laboratory is closer in style to the factories and academic buildings designed by Kahn. As with the factories, the General Motors Research Laboratory remains a graceful and attractive structure long after the products developed within it have become obsolete.