You know the building today as Hotel Metro, a beautiful art deco hotel in Downtown Milwaukee, located on the prominent corner of Mason and Wells streets. But when the building was constructed, it was known as the Mariner building, and just like now, it was a beauty.
At least as beautiful as an office building can be. It opened in 1937 and boasted high-end amenities for professional clients -- things like specialized steam sanitation for doctors' offices and "year round" air conditioning. It even had phones in the elevator!
OnMilwaukee's Bobby Tanzilo got access to an impressive collection of archive photos, courtesy of Dahlman Construction Company, that shows the building's construction in stages between 1937 and 1938.
You can watch the site transform from a literal hole in the ground to a towering, luxurious, window-lined architectural stunner.
Visit OnMilwaukee to view the full set of photos. Then, listen to this week's podcast below for more about the building, its history and construction.
