The Terminal (also known as Michigan Central Station) was built in 1913 for the railroad and was Detroit’s main passenger depot until 1988. At the time of construction, it was the tallest rail station in the world and today it is still a visible architectural icon on Detroit’s lanscape.

The building is Beaux-Arts Classical in style and designed by the Warren & Wetmore and Reed and Stem firms who also designed NYC’s Grand Central Terminal. There are 2 parts to the building: the station and an 18-storey office tower used by the railroad.

The main waiting room was modeled after an ancient Roman bathhouse with walls of marble. A large hall adorned with Doric columns contained the ticket offie and arcade shops. Beyond the arcade a concourse of brick walls lit by copper skylight housed the ramps to the 11 train platforms.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and restoration plans have been talked about and planned, but never followed through on. Every year there is rumour of it being torn down as it sits on prime retail land, but as yet that has not happened. Today the building has been stripped of most metal items for scrap and is covered in graffiti. Although surrounded by fencing, the building seems to be Detroit’s UE hangout, as photographers seem to come and go within the building with ease – with models and without – teenagers can be found doing what teenagers do, and locals show up with friends in tow from out of town to see “that building from that scene in Transformers”.

You may recognize the building from some big-budget movies and television shows: Transformers, The Island, Naqoyqatsi, Four Brothers, and 8 Mile.