The The Osi Art Apartments at West End will be one key node of the ‘WEST END GALLERY DISTRICT,’ a UNESCO Neighborhood City of Design partner, envisioned as a local and regional destination celebrating arts and culture and nurtures creative entrepreneurs. The The Osi Art Apartments at West End is embedded in the Greater Corktown neighborhood, a diverse and vibrant area within walking and biking distance of Detroit’s Downtown and Midtown. The location on Grand River Boulevard resembles a visible landmark not only for the Gallery District, but also as a gateway to Greater Corktown itself. The height and form of the building reacts adequately to the wide street and with its colorful façade, becomes a characteristic advertisement of the inclusive nature of its development.

The developers partnered with the New York/Nigerian artist Osi Audu to collaborate on the artistic design of the façade. His work ‘Self-Portrait, Red Cap Chief – Etsako Head’ (2016) was the inspiration to give the building a specific and characteristic form with a large saw-tooth roof and angled façade elements to reveal the applied artwork in an engaging and synergetic whole. Angled balconies add to the vibrancy of the façade, while engaging the street and the neighborhood in the north.