Designboom | Philip Jarmain Documents Detroits Architectural Past / by Philip Jarmain

canadian photographer philip jarmain presents ‘american beauty’, a series of images that document the rapid destruction of detroitʼs early twentieth-century architecture. the haunting captures depict abandoned, forgotten spaces of a bygone era, cataloging the ingenuity and innovation of the american city that has since spiraled downward.  the interiors and exteriors of monumental public buildings are tired and worn, some deteriorated beyond recognition. opulent architectural structures like theaters and hotels, which once beautified detroit streets, are currently being destroyed at an exponential rate. the collection of photographs emphasize the form and detail of the buildings themselves, archiving a forgotten era and the lost art of significant architects. ‘these are the last large format architectural photographs for many of these structures.’, says jarmain.