The Detroit Area Art Deco Society invites its members to a tour of the new Cambria Detroit hotel, the former WWJ Building on Tuesday, April 4th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
The tour will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the front entrance. Street parking is available at meters surrounding the building.
The Art Deco WWJ building was constructed in 1935 to house Michigan’s first radio station – when radio was the high-tech media that had swept the nation. Originally, WWJ was a part of the Detroit News when publisher William E. Scripps founded the station inside the Detroit News building. The station grew, and needed its own building. Architect Albert Kahn’s firm designed a 340-seat auditorium, for an audience to watch radio broadcasts…yes, that was a popular pastime.
The building later was home to Michigan’s first television station. Popular shows such as “George Pierrot’s World Adventure Series” were broadcast live from the auditorium. In 1984, building was donated to be the home to the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, and other nonprofit organizations. The building is four-stories tall, and its new life as the Cambria Hotel is just beginning.
