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Originally Posted by LMich
So, the vast majority of the facade is marble? I only ask, because I've always seen it described as having limestone, granite, and marble cladding, and assumed that the marble was for the details (and granite for the base), and the limestone made up most of the facade.
You learn something new everyday.
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The first three stories are that front W. Grand Blvd and 2nd Ave are indeed faced in Minnesota granite.
According to
Emporis: Fisher Building
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The upper stories are faced with Manhattan Avenue marble. The steep hipped roof was originally covered with gold leaf, though is now clad with green tile.
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It is quite possible that limestone was used on the rear portions of the Fisher Building. If you look at an aerial view of the Fisher Building that shows the "back" of the tower, you can see a transition from the marble facing to some other lighter colored material at around the 11th floor. The integrated parking garage and the Fisher Theatre enclosure may have used cheaper limestone or even bricks since they would be less visible (especially if the other two towers had not been canceled due to the Great Depression). I would have to take a closer look to be sure of the materials used there.
There are many types of marble used in the interior as well:
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Marble types used in the arcade include Golden-Vein Tavernelle from Tennessee, Cardiff Green from Maryland, Carthage from Missouri, Verdi Antique from Vermont, Mar Villa from Maryland, red marble from Germany, green from Austria, brown & black from Belgium, black & gold from France, white & black from Italy, and rose from Spain.
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