In 2017, the Detroit Institute of Arts and Midtown Detroit, Inc. launched Midtown Cultural Connections (MCC), an international design competition to reimagine a cohesive cultural district for Detroit. The organizers sought to create a sense of urban dynamism by linking some of city’s most significant and diverse institutions, including the iconic Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Detroit Public Library, among others. In response to the prompt, the multi-disciplinary design team Agence Ter, Akoaki, rootoftwo, and Harley Etienne conceived the winning entry, Detroit Square. The project is a framework that adapts the unique expression of each institution and is intent on generating a sense of radical inclusivity within the rapidly changing city. The Detroit School Series is proud to host a conversation with Anya Sirota – Associate Professor of Architecture, Associate Dean of Academic Initiatives at Taubman College, and founding partner of Akoaki– to discuss the opportunities and predicaments of urban design and the public realm in the aftermath of Modernity.

Speaker: Anya Sirota, Associate Professor of Architecture, Associate Dean of Academic Initiatives at Taubman College, and founding partner of Akoaki

This event is co-sponsored by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning