Motown Center

Our design for a 100,000 SF museum and cultural center dedicated to the Motown music label, won a national design competition. More than a museum, Motown Center would offer an atypical combination of exhibition, education and performance spaces, including interactive exhibits, digital media library, a nightclub, and a restaurant as well as retail, administrative offices and a large events hall.

Located on Woodward Avenue for maximum visibility from downtown and the adjacent highway, Motown Center was envisioned as an anchor for redevelopment and renewed interest in downtown Detroit’s growing entertainment district. Our proposal included a large public park that could serve as an entry to the museum as well as a destination unto itself.

The façade is clad in a “dress” of tall, curved aluminum fins, or pleats, that would animate the building depending on vantage point. The pleats would also be illuminated and would serve as a screen to project film and information.

Collaborating Firms: Rockwell Group, Hamilton Anderson Associates