The Shepherd Gallery and Arts Center
The Shepherd is a new art gallery, performance space, and community center planned for the East Village neighborhood of Detroit — a residential area that has long been subject to population decline and urban blight.
The plans strategically transform the church interior to expand its use while leaving the exterior of the church in its original form. The project aims to be both local and global.
The church is an anchoring institution for the neighborhood, echoing the role the church played in East Village as a space for community gathering, while also serving as an art gallery, lecture hall, and performance space for global art audiences. Part of a 3.75 acre master plan that Library Street Collective is developing for the area, the adaptive reuse of The Shepherd is the first phase in the creation of a new creative core for the East Side of Detroit. Future projects will include new artist live/work spaces, a bar/restaurant/cafe, and expanded exhibition space with art storage. True to the core mission of the Library Street Collective, the master plan will feature key partnerships with local artists and community members including, McArthur Binion’s art foundation, a residency for Cranbrook students, an art/playscape by local artist Charles McGee, and a public sculpture walk with permanent and changing artworks commissions by local and global artists.
The Shepherd is a new art gallery, performance space, and community center planned for the East Village neighborhood of Detroit — a residential area that has long been subject to population decline and urban blight.
The church is an anchoring institution for the neighborhood, echoing the role the church played in East Village as a space for community gathering, while also serving as an art gallery, lecture hall, and performance space for global art audiences. Part of a 3.75 acre master plan that Library Street Collective is developing for the area, the adaptive reuse of The Shepherd is the first phase in the creation of a new creative core for the East Side of Detroit. Future projects will include new artist live/work spaces, a bar/restaurant/cafe, and expanded exhibition space with art storage. True to the core mission of the Library Street Collective, the master plan will feature key partnerships with local artists and community members including, McArthur Binion’s art foundation, a residency for Cranbrook students, an art/playscape by local artist Charles McGee, and a public sculpture walk with permanent and changing artworks commissions by local and global artists.
Once the Detroit Archdiocese, the former Good Shepherd Catholic Church stands as a testament to its storied past. Erected in 1911 with grand Romanesque architecture, the church hosted its final mass in 2016. Despite its structural integrity, neglect had taken its toll, leaving the interior cluttered with remnants of time. As it is an important building for the community, the project aims to preserve the church’s majestic exterior, allowing its historic façade to remain largely untouched.
Once the Detroit Archdiocese, the former Good Shepherd Catholic Church stands as a testament to its storied past. Erected in 1911 with grand Romanesque architecture, the church hosted its final mass in 2016. Despite its structural integrity, neglect had taken its toll, leaving the interior cluttered with remnants of time. As it is an important building for the community, the project aims to preserve the church’s majestic exterior, allowing its historic façade to remain largely untouched.
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Through the deliberate placement of two gallery volumes, the church’s original shell remains unaltered. These volumes transform the space, weaving a rhythmic dialogue between the old and the new. Visitors find themselves in a perpetual dance, navigating seamlessly between these contrasting interventions. The interplay between the historic church framework and the contemporary additions generates a productive tension—a complementary contrast of architectural elements
Through the deliberate placement of two gallery volumes, the church’s original shell remains unaltered. These volumes transform the space, weaving a rhythmic dialogue between the old and the new. Visitors find themselves in a perpetual dance, navigating seamlessly between these contrasting interventions. The interplay between the historic church framework and the contemporary additions generates a productive tension—a complementary contrast of architectural elements
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Miriam Peterson
Nathan Rich
Amber Farrow
Alex Bodkin
Ben Hochberg
A New Arts Campus Blooms on Detroit's East Side
Peterson Rich Office transforms former church into an inviting new cultural center in Detroit's East Village
This project honors the historic fabric while drawing inspiration from the existing structure for the new elements. The craftsmanship and precise refinement of this historic adaptive reuse are evident, highlighting the essential features while delicately integrating the new program.
