The Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Michigan Theater, at 603 East Liberty Street, adds architectural drama to a block-long stretch of mostly commonplace one- and two-story retail storefronts in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor. The Theater’s facade is a colorful and exuberant example of “Lombard Romanesque” style architecture, which is characterized primarily by the presence of rhythmic ornamental arches known as
“Lombard band” AND a lack of super-elaborate sculptural embellishment. It was designed by Russian-born Yiddish architect and theater performer, Maurice Finkel, built in 1927, and opened to the public in January of 1928. The Theater’s website is definitely worth visiting, but I Love Detroit Michigan further recommends its readers thoroughly browse the Ford Gallery of Ann Arbor Founders for a more
contextualized view of this beautiful theater’s place in Ann Arbor history. Finkel described it as “a Shrine to Art. . . not built for today only, but constructed in the hopes that it might be a monument for years to come, and a credit to the community even when the city is many times its present size.” To that we say, “Mission Accomplished”. ~I♥DM