Detroit Institute of Arts Plaza
This proposal for a civic commons in Detroit reimagines the city’s cultural core through shared public space, collaborative programming, and immersive landscapes.
In partnership with a comprehensive design team co-led by TEN x TEN, MASS was one of three finalists in the Midtown Cultural Connections and Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) design competition to create a cultural commons linking twelve existing cultural and educational institutions.
The proposal was anchored in three strategies: “d.construct” car-centric infrastructure to create continuous, shared spaces; “d.cipher” institutions by turning their programming outward to encourage collaboration; and “d.light” public experiences through immersive sensory landscapes and a cohesive, interactive identity.
These strategies converged in a central public park featuring two cultural pavilions, a public forum, two mixed-use development sites, a new DIA main lobby, and sensory gardens.
