Downtown architecture exhibit to showcase the future of design in Detroit

September is filled with dozens of events relating to design in Detroit. We detailed many of the ways the city is celebrating its history of design, plus current and future efforts, which are all part of the Detroit Design Festival spurred by UNESCO endowing Detroit with its prestigious "City of Design" designation.

Much of this work is to determine what Detroit's urban environment will look like and how design can contribute to it. And that's exactly what an architecture exhibit opening downtown hopes to showcase. 

Called "Detroit Design 139," the exhibit will highlight 38 development projects throughout Detroit's 139 square miles. It is presented by Bedrock and the city of Detroit. The architectural designs on display include a mix of redevelopment efforts, like the David Whitney Building downtown, the Fitzgerald Revitalization Project in northwest Detroit, and the redesign of the East Riverfront. 

The exhibition also put forth "10 Design Principles" to demonstrate what kinds of designs will lead to a healthy, attractive city. They're interesting and worth listing in full:
 

1. Advance design as a means to improve the quality-of-life for all people
2. Balance function and beauty
3. Advance a thoughtful design process rooted in meaningful community engagement
4. Seek creative solutions to solve long-standing urban issues
5. Honor context and history through contemporary design
6. Activate the public realm
7. Balance community cohesion with aesthetic diversity
8. Impress the value of design on all projects and all audiences—emphasizing equity, design excellence, and inclusion
9. Explore new ways to live, work, and play together in the 21st century city
10. Celebrate Detroit's design legacy, while contributing to the city's design future

"Detroit Design 139" will be on display at the ground floor of 1001 Woodward in Campus Martius starting Sept. 14. It is free and open to the public from noon to 7 p.m., seven days a week.