The proposal to transform the historic Rackham Building takes cues from practical, low-cost renovation practices to establish a center for interdisciplinary cultural use. The plan foresees the building as an experimental site—valued for its functionality and adaptive reuse rather than for any attempt at architectural spectacle. The space is envisioned ample and flexible, capable of hosting a full range of arts programming that spans the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), University Musical Society (UMS), Taubman College’s design projects, STAMPS School exhibitions, and performances from the School of Theatre, Music, and Dance.
The essence of this concept is rooted in the convergence of disciplines and the fostering of public engagement. The Rackham Building is positioned as a stable point in Detroit’s uneven landscape, a commitment to urban renewal that leans on art and culture rather than grand development promises. This model favors practical, multipurpose use—an assertion that modest improvements can be more impactful than grand gestures. The intention is to make collaboration not just an option but a necessity, embedded in the very structure of the building’s purpose. In this way, the transformed Rackham Building serves as a shared space where educational, cultural, and civic activities intersect, overlapping not out of ambition but from the practical need to do so.
For context, the Horace H. Rackham Educational Memorial Building, completed in 1941 in Detroit's Cultural Center Historic District, stands as a study in restrained ambition. Designed by Harley, Ellington and Day, it marries classical simplicity with nods to modernity: a concrete frame clad in white Georgia marble, dark granite accents, and bronze-trimmed windows. Inside, bronze doors open to a grand foyer and auditorium. One wing served the Engineering Society of Detroit, with its lounges and meeting rooms; the other, the University of Michigan's Extension Service, with classrooms and lecture halls. Sculptor Marshall M. Fredericks' marble reliefs—tributes to labor and knowledge—adorn the main entrance.
Funded by the Rackham Fund, born of Horace H. Rackham's Ford stock earnings, the building epitomized the couple’s commitment to education and culture. Over decades, the Rackham Building shifted roles, from an academic and civic gathering space to a relic of changing times. In 2017, the University of Michigan absorbed the remaining property and announced plans to reimagine 70,000 square feet of it. The focus: stabilization, renovation, and new uses for research, and outreach.
2022
Midtown Detroit
Scale:
100,000 SF
Client:
The Detroit Cultural Center Association (DCCA)
Stakeholders:
University of Michigan
Principals:
Anya Sirota, Jean Louis Farges
Design Team:
Liz Feltz, Sarah Carter