The Mies van der Rohe-designed Lafayette Park Townhouses and Courthouses consist of twenty-one buildings built in 1958-60 on an eighteen-acre site west of the central park. The twenty-one buildings accommodate 186 units. Four of the buildings are one story and contain "courthouse" units with walled courtyards in the rear. The courthouses have from two to four bedrooms; two-story units have three. In contrast to the "partitioned" bedrooms, living and dining areas are open. Though these areas are fairly compact, their floor-to-ceiling glass walls open them to the outdoors and create a spacious effect. Another characteristic Miesian feature is the walled "core" that separates the living room and dining room areas in the two-story units. The core contains heating ducts and plumbing, encloses a half-bath and large closet, and screens the walk-through kitchen. The door frames in all the units reach to the eight-foot ceilings, which increases the sense of space. Yet another space-enhancing feature – one found in several of Mies' other buildings – is the open staircase with Mies' classic railings. Each unit has a full basement with a door opening onto an underground service corridor that runs the length of the building.
(Text excerpted from the Lafayette/Elmwood Park Biking Tour script developed by the City of Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board staff.)
