Pecha Kucha – Detroit. The Woodward Avenue Welcome Center Project will be presented this Friday during Pecha Kucha Detroit. The event is to be held at the Gem Theatre. Presentations will begin at 8:20 pm.

Project Background. Woodward Avenue is Michigan’s “main street” and thread of economic vitality in the southeastern part of the state. It is home to more than 300 historic sites, 150 annual events, 55 major attractions and contains the world’s first mile of concrete highway. Beyond Detroit and the other 10 municipalities it intersects, Woodward’s iconic status as a roadway and destination is understood regionally and nationally. The Woodward Corridor was designated as an Automobile National Heritage Area in 1998, a Michigan Heritage Route in 1999, and in 2002 the National Scenic Byways Program included Woodward Avenue (M1) in its exclusive list of America’s Byways®: 125 distinct and diverse roads with special designation by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation based on archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, or scenic qualities.

While working with The Woodward Avenue Action Association to assess the need and visitor demands for a new Woodward Avenue Welcome Center, HAA developed a series of graphic analyses which ultimately demonstrate important criteria for establishing its program, amenities and location. Given these criteria, HAA also transformed the program into conceptual renderings to further aid in translating now visual data into potential built form. (more…)