Eastern Market Sheds
JIMA and Other Work were selected in 2019 by Design Core Detroit in a citywide design competition to design and build interactive streetscape art for the Riopelle Corridor in Eastern Market. The proposed design focuses on formalizing the current patterns of outdoor seating and vending while promoting visibility of businesses outside of the Market’s main street to extend foot traffic and patronage. JIMA and Other Work engaged business owners and building owners in a door-to-door fashion to understand real time challenges and gain feedback for the proposed design.
The design approach reflects on the history of Eastern Market’s shed structures as the memorable image for Detroit’s fresh food market. The “fans” borrow the shed motif to create moveable structures that extends foot traffic to areas beyond the market core. The fans help to extend the market brand and identity to support other brick and mortar businesses within the Eastern MarketDistrict while offered formal locations for outdoor gathering and short-term vending.
Client
Design Core Detroit / Eastern Market Partnership
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Year
2019-2021
The design team studied the various typologies of sheds in the Eastern Market area (past and present) to define a shape for the moveable canopies.
Early iterations of the canopy to define preferred fabric patterning and structural support needs.
As part of the design development process, JIMA Studio and Other Work met with business owners and vendors during their hours of operation to understand how these sheds may support their businesses if they were to be deployed in front of their locations. Their feedback helped to develop the final design.
Team
Ujijji Williams
Location
Detroit, Michigan
Credits
Design Partner: Other Work