An area missing the roof and an end wall into a courtyard at the heart of the building was defined as the public gateway and an activity condenser. Production zones and artist studios on Amity Street, the galleries line the courtyard to reinforce a public heart for the building, and neighbourhood-serving functions are on the opposite side of the courtyard consolidating the most public amenities along Kercheval Avenue.
Across the North Building, existing bricked or boarded-up doors and windows were opened. In contrast, the South Building posed a solid expanse of concrete masonry (CMU). Rather than imposing a new composition of windows, 1,353 holes are drilled into the blank walls and filled with cylindrical glass blocks, revealing inside light and movement at night.
Lantern, Mixed-Use Community Arts HUB by OMA/Jason Long. Photograph by Jason Keen.
Lantern, Mixed-Use Community Arts HUB by OMA/Jason Long. Photograph by Jason Keen.
Project description by OMA
LANTERN, OMA’s first project in Detroit, is now open to the public in Little Village, a neighbourhood-wide initiative of Library Street Collective (LSC) co-founders Anthony & JJ Curis. Led by OMA Partner Jason Long, the former commercial bakery and warehouse built in the 1900s has been converted into a mixed-use art hub and public space.
Led by OMA Partner Jason Long, the 22,300-square-foot complex serves as a new home for two local arts non-profits, Signal-Return and PASC (Progressive Arts Studio Collective). It also includes around 5,300 square feet of artist studios, gallery, and 4,000 square feet of creative retail—all centred around a 2,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard that will serve as an accessible community space.
“We are excited to start seeing the LANTERN come to life. In the renovation, we tried to work both with and against the former bakery’s solidity to make its transformation feel simultaneously familiar and mysterious. The result is a building that welcomes and emits light and creativity.”
Jason Long, OMA Partner.
Lantern, Mixed-Use Community Arts HUB by OMA/Jason Long. Photograph by Jason Keen.
Lantern, Mixed-Use Community Arts HUB by OMA/Jason Long. Photograph by Jason Keen.
"We are thrilled to see LANTERN open its doors and join the Little Village programming. Working with OMA and our partners, we've created a space that not only supports local businesses, artists, and non-profits, but also fosters inclusivity, education, and accessibility in the arts. We look forward to seeing LANTERN's impact on the neighbourhood and beyond.”
Anthony and JJ Curis, LSC Founders.
Lantern, Mixed-Use Community Arts HUB by OMA/Jason Long. Photograph by Jason Keen.
OMA’s approach takes advantage of the building’s current state of disrepair, transforming an area missing both its roof and an end wall into a courtyard at the heart of the building. Defined as the primary entry with multiple frontages for all tenants, the courtyard becomes a public gateway and an activity condenser. Signal-Return and PASC’s diverse programs—art education, production, and gallery—are organized across the existing tripartite site to maximize points of access and potential for community interface. Production zones and artist studios create an active and inviting face to Amity Street, galleries line the courtyard to reinforce a public heart for the building, and neighbourhood-serving functions orchestrated on the opposite side of the courtyard consolidate the most public amenities along Kercheval Avenue.
Across the North Building, existing bricked or boarded-up doors and windows opened strategically. Operable windows are inserted at the studios to allow for ventilation, extruded windows at galleries become art vitrines, and former loading entries create large openings at production spaces that offer indoor-outdoor potentials. In contrast, the South Building posed a solid expanse of concrete masonry (CMU). Rather than imposing a new composition of windows, 1,353 holes are drilled into the blank walls and filled with cylindrical glass blocks. This monolithic field of tiny punctures subtly reveals light and movement within and transforms the building into a glowing lantern at night.
