#Lumen detroit full

The rooftop is also developed as usable space, with 700 sf of seating space surrounded by a green (vegetated) roof.

#Lumen detroit full

The building has a full basement for offices, restrooms, storage, kitchen prep, and other ‘behind the scenes’ needs. The restaurant’s conventional HVAC system is abetted by radiant heating built into the concrete floor slab. “It provides comfort from the cold, even for diners sitting right up next to the glass,” reports Touloukian. Despite temperatures never rising above freezing during half of Lumen’s first winter, the sliding glass wall excelled in offering thermal performance and climate protection. They love that.” The versatility of the system also allows the staff to open or close parts of the wall to respond to changing winds in the park. People really enjoy when the doors are open and the air conditioning is on, so they’re sitting outside but they’ve still got the air blowing on them. According to Managing Partner Gabby Milton, “Everybody likes the idea of an open-air restaurant. In warmer months, the walls are open most of the time enabling well ventilated interiors with natural air. There is no interior or exterior, it’s all one space.” The perimeter of the building disappears. “We lift the building up,” he explains, “and create complete reciprocity between the building and the outdoors. The system opened up the building to make great connections to the park and to the historic buildings downtown.” The combined effect of the spreading roof and opening walls were fundamental to the design. NanaWall allowed us to open it up and extend the room, make the space feel larger. “The flush sill details and the ability to have a pass door were also significant selection factors, as was energy efficiency. “The way the operable doors retreat into discrete areas was really important for us,” notes Touloukian. The panels store completely out of the way preventing interference from open views, traffic flow, and table layout. The 86-foot-long dining room wall opens on three sides with 26 panels that park within three compact bays. The bar opens on two sides with 15 panels of sliding glass wall taking up an expanse of 47 feet. Opening the operable glass walls adds another 1200 sf of seating covered by the floating roof.

It cantilevers far beyond the footprint of the enclosed space and ‘takes off’ into the surrounding park. With the glass walls opened, the rising roof seems almost to levitate, supported only by slender corner columns. The full height NanaWall HSW60 operable panels rise over 10 feet on one side and nearly 12 feet on the other.

The glass perimeter walls completely open on both halves of the building, the bar, and the dining room.

The building geometry and wood ceiling louvers undulate with a rhythm unique to itself.” “Another aspect is its reference to music. “We intended to make the building like a machine, like a car: slender rooflines, louvered grills, concealed equipment,” says architect Touloukian. It subtly references Detroit’s rich historic involvement with both automobiles and music. It seems, at first glance, like it is all roof with no walls at all. The building is distinguished by a swooping, soaring canopy.