Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (TWBTA) has been attached to a major new expansion of the historic Detroit Music Hall, the firm announced on Monday. The project aims to connect an important part of downtown to a burgeoning economic revitalization while providing Detroiters with a “canvas to express the energy and creativity for which the city is globally recognized.”

At seven stories and a total of 100,000 square feet, the new Detroit Music Hall Center will sit next to the existing 95-year-old Wilson Theater and offers the public a 1,900-seat main concert hall, 200-seat recital hall, offices, rooftop restaurant, music academy educational component, and a 4,000-square-foot activated public outdoor area. 

In terms of its design, the building utilizes an LED-lit perforated metal rain screen facade to cast itself and its twin as the vibrant cultural anchors for new development in the neighborhood. The duality between industrial daytime activities and the city’s nightlife scene is further expressed inside thanks to a material palette that includes “sculptural” wood panels for the double-height concert hall, which is framed by a large window at the west orientation. 

A chamfered roof canopy covers the structure, cantilevering out over the new alleyway space outside. Finally, a pedestrian bridge unites the two buildings, offering a symbol for the continuation of musical traditions that have made Detroit an epicenter for the development of different genres for the past century. 

Detroit Music Hall President and Artistic Director Vince Paul says the expansion will “welcome the world to Detroit” while working to “create opportunities for the music legends of tomorrow.”

“The experience of growing up in and around Detroit has followed and influenced me throughout my life and career,” TWBTA Founding Partner Tod Williams added. “It is a tremendous gift for our studio and team to work with Vince Paul, the Music Hall staff, Board, and our excellent contractor Barton Malow, among many others, on this once-in-a-lifetime project at the heart of downtown's cultural corridor. By doubling its capacity and amplifying its activity and offerings, Music Hall will be an unparalleled destination and a spectacular asset for Detroit’s future.”

Costs for the project are estimated at $122 million, funded in part by an $80 million public bond issuance. TWBTA says they are hoping for a public opening in the fall of 2026. 

The firm also completed work on the new David Geffen Concert Hall in Manhattan recently and is anticipating the completion of its important Chicago Obama Presidential Center project in October of 2025.