Riverside Park Pavilion

Location: Detroit, MI
Size: 2,900 SF
Status: Completed in 2022
Awards: AIA Michigan - Community Impact 2023
AIA Detroit - Building Award 2023
Architecture MasterPrize - Small Architecture
Photography: Jason Keen & Curt Clayton

Riverside Park is a former industrial stretch of Detroit’s southwest riverfront. As part of the City of Detroit General Services Department’s (GSD) ongoing transformation of the park to support active recreation, family picnicking, and daily access to open space, InToto designed a new pavilion to serve as a community connector and a hub of activity for the expansive park. It is centrally located and houses public amenities, concessions, toilet rooms, changing rooms, and utilities for the adjacent splash pad. The design is open and inviting to the public with perforated weathered steel panels that selectively allow for light, views, and natural ventilation while amplifying park activity. The material strategy ensures that the building is durable enough to withstand heavy use, requires minimal maintenance, and is easily secured when not in use via sliding steel doors.