activating detroit’s riverfront
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park
Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates as the project’s lead landscape architect, this 22-acre park features sports courts, a water garden, playscapes, and a promenade lined with cherry trees. The site has been reshaped into a rolling landscape across a half-mile stretch, creating new pathways and gathering spaces along the Detroit River. Three new structures designed by Adjaye Associates, more than 900 new trees, and a network of accessible trails bring new life to the previously bare industrial site. Guided by input from Detroit residents, the park is designed to engage people of all ages and abilities, redefining the Riverfront for locals and visitors alike.
vision
The vision for Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park was to transform Detroit’s west riverfront into an accessible, inclusive public space that welcomes residents of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. The goal was to create a lasting legacy for community gathering and recreation—places that encourage connection throughout every season.
details
The park’s architectural centerpiece, the William Davidson Sport House, offers two NBA-sized basketball courts branded with the Detroit Pistons logo. Its rounded form was designed to flow with the rolling landscape, while its cast in place concrete structure creates a deliberate juxtaposition with the surrounding natural beauty. The angled columns—carefully engineered and coordinated—add to the sense of movement and visual rhythm, connecting architecture and landscape through motion and form.
secret
Since 2018, a Community Advisory Team of Detroiters of all ages has helped shape the park’s design. Members visited parks in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia to study successful public spaces, and eight community meetings invited local input to refine the vision. The completed park weaves community, culture, and design together—combining playful forms inspired by Michigan wildlife, imaginative structures drawn from children’s art, and Pistons-branded courts that ground the experience in Detroit’s identity.
