Book Cadillac Basement Boilers, 2012

Philip Jarmain grew up near London, Ontario, with part of his childhood spent in Switzerland and Ireland. There were also many family trips to Mexico. His mother is a textile artist and fathers an entrepreneur. A childhood love of storytelling led to early fascination with film, photography and cameras. dShort dramas shot with an 8 mm wind-up camera were a passion. Later, his training was in film (Vancouver Film School), and for some years he worked in lighting for feature films and episodic television, and after that as stills photographer for film.

While establishing himself as a full time artist in photography, Jarmain supports himself as a commercial photographer specializing in conceptual advertising, based in Vancouver, where he lives, and Toronto. In this area he is a recipient of multiple Lürzers Archive and Communication Arts awards as well as other international honors.

It was and arguably is the posh place to stay in Detroit. Upon its completion in 1924, it was the tallest hotel in the world

at a full 33 floors, plus a three level basement. It boasted 1,136 guest rooms and even a radio station in its penthouse.

The imposing hotel wasn’t just tall, it was beautiful. Bavarian-born and Detroit-based architect Louis Kamper designed the structure in an Italian Renaissance style, from its limestone exterior to its lobby

and public rooms. A grand crystal ballroom, wood-paneled dining rooms were just some of the flourishes found within.

The hotel remained a popular spot for presidents and celebrities alike throughout the decades and renovations the hotel had. By the late 70s, the downtown downturn affected the Book Cadillac, and by 1984 the doors closed on the building, for what seemed like for good by the 2000s.

After one failed attempt, the hotel that had stood abandoned and neglected for over 20 years was reopened in 2008 after a labyrinth of financing and incentives. A hotel and condominiums fill all of the building, now cleaned and polished.

While business flourish from the ground up, below ground is a different story. Down three flights of stairs is something many might think looks like the sunken ruins of The Titanic. Large boilers, original to the building, easily 25 feet tall, sit, rusted and decayed. This large and cavernous space has sat unaffected by the renovation, save for some florescent lighting, fire suppression lines, and drywall to box it in. After closing, the space was underwater for almost two decades, causing rust to form on the iron. When renovation rolled around, the basement was drained and the acceptance of leaving the massive boilers in their location, as removal would be an unnecessary expense.