McGregor Memorial Conference Center
McGregor Memorial Conference Center | |
International Style | |
| NRHP reference No. | 10001023[1] |
|---|---|
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 2010 |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 2015[2] |
The McGregor Memorial Conference Center is an office building located at 495 Ferry Mall, on the campus of Wayne State University in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States. Completed in 1958, the building was the first commission of the noted Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki marking his shift from traditional International Style to a style known as the New Formalism. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture in 2015.
History
The McGregor Memorial Conference Center was funded by the McGregor Fund, as a memorial to Tracy W. and Katherine McGregor who initiated the fund in 1925. The McGregor Fund specified that the building be used as "a community conference center for groups of citizens interested in exploring ways and means of being helpful to others." To that end, Wayne State University hired architect Minoru Yamasaki in August 1955 to design the building.[3] The commission came after Yamasaki's long convalescence and subsequent trip to Japan, and was his first opportunity to put into practice his re-envisionment of architecture.[3] The center was completed in 1958, and opened to immediate accolades from architectural magazines who called it "delightful" and "refreshing,"[3] and from the American Institute of Architects who awarded Yamasaki a First Honor Award for the design.[4] Over the next seven years, Yamasaki designed three more buildings for Wayne's campus: the Education Building, Prentis Hall, and DeRoy Auditorium.[5]
Description
The McGregor Memorial Conference Center is a two-story symmetrical pavilion covered with
Gallery
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Side view of center showing beam structure -
Pond in rear of Center -
Pond in relation to Center
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Detroit, Michigan
References
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 12/13/10 THROUGH 12/17/10". National Park Service. December 23, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ National Park Service (April 17, 2015), Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/06/15 through 4/10/15, retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Art: The Road to Xanadu". Time. January 18, 1963. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008.
- ^ a b "McGregor Memorial Conference Center". Wayne State University. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ "Inaugural Minoru Yamasaki lecture will highlight legendary history and design of several Wayne State University buildings" (Press release). Wayne State University. November 1, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
- ^ ISBN 1-56898-254-2.