Assemble Sound unveils HQ inside OMA's Lantern arts hub in Detroit

Music company Assemble Sound has opened offices and recording studios inside the OMA-designed Lantern arts hub in Detroit, which features a focal aqua-hued staircase.

Assemble Sound's 4,000-square-foot (370-square-metre) headquarters was designed and outfitted by the company's head of music Seth Anderson and his partner Jillian Anderson – the duo's first interior project.

An aqua-coloured staircase in a room with an exposed brick structure — At the Assemble Sound offices, a staircase designed by OMA stands out against the former bakery's industrial structure

The space is located within the Lantern arts hub, which architecture studio OMA completed in 2024 as part of developer Library Street Collective's neighbourhood initiative, Little Village.

Assemble Studio's portion of the building houses workspaces, meeting rooms, lounge areas, and recording studios for artist development and commercial work.

A perforated metal staircase painted a bold aqua colour — The perforated metal staircase is painted a bold aqua colour

The structure's raw industrial bones guided much of the interior design, with patched-up brickwork, wooden ceiling beams and metal ductwork all left exposed.

Seth designed several custom furniture and art pieces for the offices, including desks, sound dishes and a mixer table.

Creative workspaces organised around a hub that's flooded with natural light — Creative workspaces are organised around a hub that's flooded with natural light

In the hallway, illuminated rippled panels that cover the lowered ceiling "create the feeling of washing away the outside world" according to Seth Anderson.

An arched doorway aligned with a glowing wall-mounted infinity mirror artwork leads through to the creative studios, where the ceiling height rises and light floods in from large windows.

A custom table for informal work is positioned below a skylight and features a tree planted in its base

The natural illumination is complemented by a robust artificial lighting program intended to highlight architectural junctions.

"Everywhere two planes meet, we've carved in cove lighting — not just as design, but as a reminder that inspiration refuses to be contained by four walls or a ceiling," said Seth.

Custom rippled ceiling panels and an infinity mirror decorate a hallway — Custom rippled ceiling panels and an infinity mirror decorate the hallway

Positioned below a skylight in the central hub area is a custom amorphous table made out of recycled materials by local designer Simon Anton, designed for informal work and featuring a tree growing from the base.

A perforated metal staircase OMA designed as part of the building's renovation connects the office's two levels and is painted an eye-catching aqua colour.

The mixed-use lounge space at the base of the stairs comprises retro block-shaped sofas, armchairs, side tables, and stools that can be arranged around a reflective table for casual meetings.

Occupying a former bakery, the 22,300-square-foot (2,070-square-metre) Lantern complex is primarily home to non-profit organisations Signal-Return and Progressive Arts Studio Collective (PASC).

A huge custom mixing table operated in a recording studio — A huge custom mixing table is operated in one of the recording studios

It also includes artist studios, galleries and creative retail spaces — all centred around an outdoor courtyard that provides an accessible community space.

"In the renovation, we tried to work both with and against the former bakery's solidity to make its transformation feel simultaneously familiar and mysterious," said OMA partner Jason Long. "The result is a building that welcomes and emits light and creativity."

Recording studio with a wooden desk and exposed concrete walls — The new offices provide Assemble Sound with space for artist development and commercial work

In recent years many of Detroit's abandoned buildings have found new lives as creative and cultural venues – see eight examples here.

In another Rust Belt city, OMA New York completed an expansion to Buffalo's AKG Art Museum that features a promenade encased in a glass facade.

The photography is by Jason Keen.

Project credits:

Architectural designer: Seth and Jillian Anderson
Interior designer: Seth and Jillian Anderson
Architectural lighting designer: Seth Anderson
Studio and acoustic consultant: Glenn Brown
Studio fabrications: Ken Capton
General contractor: CIR Group
Staircase design: OMA

The post Assemble Sound unveils HQ inside OMA's Lantern arts hub in Detroit appeared first on Dezeen.