Detroit and the greater metro area are filled with countless examples of midcentury modern architecture, whether its a downtown skyscraper designed by Minoru Yamasaki or jaw-dropping homes.
This area is lot less known, however, for its postmodern architecture—the style that eschewed the straight lines and pragmatism of its predecessor. That can largely be chalked up to the fact that Detroit did a lot less building when the movement was popular in the latter half of the 20th century.
But that doesn’t mean there are no buildings in Detroit that can be called postmodern, which is difficult to define but broadly includes exaggerated features that illicit some kind of commentary on the building or place. As the saying goes, in modernism “less is more,” but in postmodernism “less is a bore.”
This list was put together with the help of Joe Posch, owner of the Midtown store Hugh, who also ran Ecce Pomo, a postmodern popup that took place during 2019’s Detroit Month of Design.
Did we forget any postmodern buildings? Let us know in the comments section.
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