Known as "the Architect of Detroit" Albert Kahn designed over 100 buildings in his lifetime including the iconic Fisher Building, the Free Press Building, and the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House. Though many of Kahn's designs were completed in the gilded age of the first quarter of the 20th century, he championed a style that balanced tasteful flourish with the transparency of purpose and construction methods - the latter of which he became particularly well known for as he pioneered the use of poured concrete forms rather than the more traditional wood framing members. Originally commissioned by the Fisher Brothers as the New Center Building, The Kahn first opened its doors in 1931 as an office building to some of the most prestigious firms in Detroit - including the architectural firm of Albert Khan himself, and later Saks Fifth Avenue. Given its proximity and its role in anchoring the New Center business district, this Art Deco building was designed to mirror the style of the Fisher Building without competing with its opulence and grandeur. In keeping with the tradition of the Fisher Building, The Kahn features and exterior of granite and limestone, rising 165 feet above the streetscape. To recognize his firm's historic role as a pillar of the New Center commercial district, the building was officially renamed The Albert Kahn Building in 1980 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. In its new life as a residential building it is known as The Kahn, paying homage to the architect and offering a comfortable and personal experience.