I'm embarrassed to admit this but my camera died on me just as the tour was starting.
During much of the tour they asked that no pictures be taken because they were work areas and could contain sensitive information.
A few things I noticed right off was that the security was pretty heavy. In addition to the security team at the doors, employees needed their key cards to move throughout the building. Not just the main entrance but basically any access point to a new area.
The interior itself was incredibly modern and forward thinking. Flat screen TV's in hallways, break areas. Ergonomic furniture and break areas that looked like bars minus the alcohol. Vending machines didn't have candy bars or junk, but rather salads and healthy snacks.
The entire area was Wifi enabled so that the employees could work anywhere in the building, not just their workstations. Apparently it's not unusual to see a work group doing stuff in the break areas because it's so comfortable.
Okay, enough of that.
They restored the original lobby where people would come in and pay their bills and made it into a mini-museum. Pictures of the Ottawa Street Station in it's original construction and during it's service hang on the walls.
The large steel and copper doors were restored to their original condition;
Point of note; Inside this door they found a copy of a newspaper from Allentown, Pennsylvania that was dated November 29, 1938. If not for that discovery they wouldn't know who built the doors. They have a large copy of that newspaper hanging next to the doors.
You'll see the windows are the shape of the actual building and the electrical sunburst pattern above the door.
The 9th floor conference room is SPECTACULAR. As soon as I entered I involuntarily muttered 'wow'. You walk in and the first thing you see to your right is the view of Boji tower and downtown lansing. To your left is Cooley Stadium and Sparrow Hospital. It's intimate but roomy. I'm so incredibly disappointed that my camera was being wonky because it would have been good to show how it looked.
Wait. Somehow I salvaged a couple of videos that I tried taking!
I might have salvaged video from the original lobby as well but it's not posting correctly, I'll try again later and post it then.
The design of the work area within the actual OSS was pretty cool. They kept a lot of the original stuff from the power plant and incorporated it into the design. Stuff like cabs near the ceiling, hooks used to hoist the turbines and of course the exposed brick. Pictures were forbidden here so camera or not, I couldn't share any images.
The third and fourth floors hang above the second floor. You can stand in the commons area of floor 2 and look up and see the floors above you. They're attached to steel beams that look original to the plant. This is how they handled the step backs of the building. It looked very open, airy and again pretty damn cool.
The guide pointed out glass panes that were added, they didn't match the originals. He said that they weren't allowed to add additions to the building that made it appear to look original because of the historical status of the OSS. Any additions had to be clear that they weren't part of the original building. Thus the all-glass addition to the north and the varied glass panes on the lower end of the building on the east side of the building (facing the river).
Comments
During much of the tour they asked that no pictures be taken because they were work areas and could contain sensitive information.
A few things I noticed right off was that the security was pretty heavy. In addition to the security team at the doors, employees needed their key cards to move throughout the building. Not just the main entrance but basically any access point to a new area.
The interior itself was incredibly modern and forward thinking. Flat screen TV's in hallways, break areas. Ergonomic furniture and break areas that looked like bars minus the alcohol. Vending machines didn't have candy bars or junk, but rather salads and healthy snacks.
The entire area was Wifi enabled so that the employees could work anywhere in the building, not just their workstations. Apparently it's not unusual to see a work group doing stuff in the break areas because it's so comfortable.
Okay, enough of that.
They restored the original lobby where people would come in and pay their bills and made it into a mini-museum. Pictures of the Ottawa Street Station in it's original construction and during it's service hang on the walls.
The large steel and copper doors were restored to their original condition;
Point of note; Inside this door they found a copy of a newspaper from Allentown, Pennsylvania that was dated November 29, 1938. If not for that discovery they wouldn't know who built the doors. They have a large copy of that newspaper hanging next to the doors.
You'll see the windows are the shape of the actual building and the electrical sunburst pattern above the door.
The 9th floor conference room is SPECTACULAR. As soon as I entered I involuntarily muttered 'wow'. You walk in and the first thing you see to your right is the view of Boji tower and downtown lansing. To your left is Cooley Stadium and Sparrow Hospital. It's intimate but roomy. I'm so incredibly disappointed that my camera was being wonky because it would have been good to show how it looked.
Wait. Somehow I salvaged a couple of videos that I tried taking!
Please forgive me for the horrible quality but remember, my device wasnt working at all and even to have this I'm so grateful; Ottawa Street Station/Accident Fund Building 9th floor conference room
I might have salvaged video from the original lobby as well but it's not posting correctly, I'll try again later and post it then.
The design of the work area within the actual OSS was pretty cool. They kept a lot of the original stuff from the power plant and incorporated it into the design. Stuff like cabs near the ceiling, hooks used to hoist the turbines and of course the exposed brick. Pictures were forbidden here so camera or not, I couldn't share any images.
The third and fourth floors hang above the second floor. You can stand in the commons area of floor 2 and look up and see the floors above you. They're attached to steel beams that look original to the plant. This is how they handled the step backs of the building. It looked very open, airy and again pretty damn cool.
The guide pointed out glass panes that were added, they didn't match the originals. He said that they weren't allowed to add additions to the building that made it appear to look original because of the historical status of the OSS. Any additions had to be clear that they weren't part of the original building. Thus the all-glass addition to the north and the varied glass panes on the lower end of the building on the east side of the building (facing the river).