Lafayette Park

The Lafayette Park development is a large park and residential complex just east of downtown Detroit, Michigan. The area is part of the Mies van der Rohe Residential District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Lafayette Park is located on the city's lower east side near the Eastern Market Historic District. The 78-acre (32 ha) development was originally called Gratiot Park. Planned by Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig Hilberseimer and Alfred Caldwell, the complex is a collection of one- and two- story townhomes, a small neighborhood shopping center, and two high-rises set adjacent to a 19-acre municipally-operated park also called Lafayette Park. The residential buildings of Lafayette Park are classic examples of Mies' International Style, with their simplicity, clean proportions, and cladding of tinted glass and aluminum. The park and development are located roughly half-way between downtown and Chene Park, and are also close to Belle Isle and the MacArthur Bridge. There is also easy access to I-375, Gratiot Avenue, and Jefferson Avenue. Lafayette Park is also near the architecturally significant St. Joseph's Catholic Church and the Eastern Market Historic District.