Weaving a building of this scale into the neighborhood involved pressing the main concourse, also called the Via, down to street level. Doing so provided access to restaurants and businesses from the street and from within the arena. Over half of the arena’s street frontage is lined with multi-story buildings with at-grade retail and restaurants and office spaces above, creating a unique opportunity for activity during nonevent times.
The arena’s exterior employs a deconstructed design that breaks up what would traditionally be an imposing superblock down to a scale that blends into its surrounding context. Also important in achieving a blended aesthetic is a rich palette of materials, including metal panel systems, cast stone, natural stone, and 16 different colors and sizes of clay brick. With input from Street-Works Development, HOK assembled the design documentation for the complex façade, which has over 15 variations in architectural expression around the building’s perimeter.
Disciplines
- Architecture
- Interior Design
Type(s)
- Hospitality / Gaming
- Retail
Services
- Architecture
- Architecture - Design and Documentation
- Construction Contract Administration
- Interior Design
Client
- OLYMPIA DEVELOPMENT OF MICHIGAN, LLC
LOCATION
- DETROIT, MI