across the u.s.mid-century modernmichigan

Lafayette Park, Detroit

Lafayette Park is a neighborhood of Mies van der Rohe–designed townhouses, court houses and apartment towers set around a central park just east of downtown Detroit. Developer Herbert Greenwald, planner Ludwig Hilberseimer and landscape architect Alfred Caldwell worked with Mies on a superblock plan with 186 one- and two-story co-op homes and three high-rise towers, built from 1956 to 1963 on land cleared under Detroit’s first residential urban renewal project. The National Park Service named Lafayette Park a National Historic Landmark in 2015, and the city’s Historic District Commission reviews projects there.

The housesThe rulesBefore you buy

  • built1956–1963towers finished 1958 and 1963
  • homes186co-op townhouses and court houses
  • towers3the Pavilion and twin Lafayette Towers
  • landmark2015National Historic Landmark

the houses

What makes them distinctive

  • Steel and glassExterior steel columns run the full height of the facades, with floor-to-ceiling plate glass in aluminum frames and buff brick end walls.
  • Townhouses and court housesThe 21 low-rise buildings hold 162 two-story townhouses with three bedrooms and 24 one-story court houses with walled rear courtyards and two to four bedrooms.
  • The parkA central park called the Lafayette Plaisance runs through the site, with Alfred Caldwell’s Prairie-style landscape of native trees, curving paths and meadows.
  • Cars at the edgesThe plan keeps through traffic out, uses cul-de-sacs and local lots, and sets low-rise parking about four feet below grade so cars stay out of view.
  • Service tunnelsEach townhouse unit has a full basement that opens onto an underground service corridor running through the building.
  • TowersThe Pavilion was finished in 1958 and the twin Lafayette Towers in 1963, all clad in aluminum and tinted glass.

protection

Designation and the rules

  • Co-op ownershipThe Mies townhouses and court houses are owned through resident cooperatives, so a buyer acquires a co-op membership rather than a deeded unit; Metropolis reported four co-ops, each with its own board.
  • Co-op controls changesA longtime resident told Metropolis in 2013 that the co-op controls exteriors and that interior work needs co-op permission.
  • Local historic districtLafayette Park is a City of Detroit local historic district, and the Detroit Historic District Commission reviewed and approved a steam-line project there in 2025.
  • Federal listingsThe Mies van der Rohe Residential District has been in the National Register since 1996, and Lafayette Park became a National Historic Landmark in 2015; federal listing alone doesn’t restrict a private owner using private funds.

before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Get the co-op documentsAsk which co-op the unit belongs to and request its bylaws, budget, house rules, carrying-charge breakdown and any litigation disclosures; BridgeDetroit reported in 2026 that the co-ops were in court with Detroit Thermal over steam lines.
  • Plan for co-op approvalBuying a co-op membership isn’t like buying a house: ask the co-op about its application, board approval, transfer fees and which lenders finance its memberships before making an offer.
  • Check windows and framesThe original glazing used aluminum frames with clear and tinted glass, and Metropolis reported that each co-op decided on window replacement separately, so glass and frames vary by co-op.
  • Ask about heating and coolingMetropolis described per-unit furnaces and air conditioning serviced through the tunnel; ask what the monthly charge covers and how old the equipment is.
  • Know which review appliesExterior work may need both co-op approval and city historic district review, so confirm the steps before planning changes.
property nerd note

Sources disagree on acreage (78 acres for the landmark area, 46 for the 1996 district, 129 for the original project), park size (13, 16 or 19 acres), tower height (21 or 22 stories), the developer credit (Greenwald alone, or with Samuel Katzin) and the National Register year, and co-op details come from a 2013 interview and vary by co-op.

sources

Where this comes from

Checked October 20, 2026.

questions

Questions we hear

How are Lafayette Park townhouses owned?

The Mies townhouses and court houses are owned through resident cooperatives, so buyers purchase a co-op membership and pay a monthly charge instead of receiving a deed to the unit.

Is Lafayette Park a historic district?

Yes. It’s a National Historic Landmark (2015), the Mies van der Rohe Residential District is in the National Register, and the city’s Historic District Commission reviews projects there.

Who designed Lafayette Park?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the buildings, Ludwig Hilberseimer planned the site, Alfred Caldwell designed the landscape, and Herbert Greenwald developed it.

more to learn

Keep going

General information from the sources listed, checked October 20, 2026; not legal, preservation or construction advice. Confirm designation and permit rules with the local preservation office before you buy or remodel. The Boyenga Team represents buyers and sellers in Santa Clara County, bay-side San Mateo County and San Francisco.

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