Ford River Rouge Glass Plant
Completed in 1925, the Glass Plant, which was designed by Albert Kahn and featured butterfly roofs and clerestory monitors, was considered a landmark in industrial architecture. The 240-by-760-foot structure was planned, however, so that it could be easily expanded and altered to meet the demands of constantly changing technology. As a result, the present 320-by-2,600-foot edifice bears little resemblance to Kahn's original design. Situated west of the Dearborn Assembly Plant, the Glass Plant is the scene of an almost completely automatic glass-making operation. Using the float process, the plant produces 13.41 miles or 500 tons of glass each working day.
View from west, showing west facade of Glass Plant