Rafael Viñoly Architects to Convert Detroit's Vacant Barbour School into Campus
The adaptive reuse of Detroit's Levi Barbour Intermediate School, which has been unoccupied since 2009, will be spearheaded by Rafael Viñoly Architects. Entrepreneur Kyle Smitley has purchased the 186,000-square-foot structure for a restoration project costing $30 million. Designed initially by Malcomson & Higginbotham, the building will preserve its historical essence while receiving significant enhancements. Jeremy Levitt's Parts and Labor Design will also be involved in the project. Construction is set to commence in spring 2027, with students expected to start arriving in 2029. Additionally, The Broad will showcase 164 pieces at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris for 'The Broad Collection — Los Angeles in Paris' from April 21 to August 30, coinciding with its $100 million expansion. Aldar has revealed plans for a cultural district named Noma ahead of Frieze Abu Dhabi, scheduled for November 19–22.
Key facts
- Rafael Viñoly Architects will lead the adaptive reuse of Detroit's Levi Barbour Intermediate School, vacant since 2009.
- The approximately 186,000-square-foot building was acquired by Kyle Smitley, who is leading a restoration effort of about $30 million.
- The school was originally designed by Detroit firm Malcomson & Higginbotham.
- Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027, with students arriving in 2029.
- The Broad will lend 164 works to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris for an exhibition running April 21 through August 30.
- The Broad's $100 million, 55,000-square-foot expansion is underway, with the collection to return for its opening in 2028.
- Aldar announced plans for a cultural district called Noma ahead of the inaugural Frieze Abu Dhabi, running November 19–22.
- A new biography by Louis Shadwick reveals Edward Hopper's first oil painting, Old Ice Pond at Nyack, is a copy of A Winter Sunset by Bruce Crane.
- Prairie, an artist-run gallery in Chicago founded in 2017 by Tim Mann and Jack Schneider, will close after nine years.
Entities
Artists
- Rafael Viñoly
- Kyle Smitley
- Jeremy Levitt
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Barbara Kruger
- Ed Ruscha
- Cindy Sherman
- Andy Warhol
- Yayoi Kusama
- Lauren Halsey
- Laura Owens
- Edward Hopper
- Louis Shadwick
- Bruce Crane
- John Francis Murphy
- Edward Moran
- Fred Pansing
- Edgar Barnes Gilson
- Tim Mann
- Jack Schneider
- Frank Gehry
- Gustave Fayet
- Hermes Pan
- Fred Astaire
- Diplo
- Yohji Yamamoto
- Danh Võ
- Junya Ishigami
- Lee Krasner
Institutions
- Rafael Viñoly Architects
- Detroit Achievement Academy
- Detroit Prep
- Malcomson & Higginbotham
- Parts and Labor Design
- The Broad
- Fondation Louis Vuitton
- Aldar
- Frieze Abu Dhabi
- Frieze London
- Manarat Al Saadiyat
- Abu Dhabi Art
- Alserkal Avenue
- JAX District
- Prairie
- Art Interchange
- Gucci
- Noguchi Award
- Apparatus
- New Museum
- Art Basel
- UBS
- Phoenix Art Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Cadillac
Locations
- Detroit
- United States
- Pingree Park
- New York
- Paris
- France
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- Saadiyat Island
- Saadiyat Cultural District
- Dubai
- Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia
- Los Angeles
- Nyack
- Chicago
- Austin