Interior of Michigan Central Station. Credit: Jason Keen.
Interior of Michigan Central Station. Credit: Jason Keen.
On the same week it was honored with the 2024 Architecture Firm Award from the American Institute of Architects, Quinn Evans celebrated the opening of the iconic Michigan Central Station. The firm spent more than a decade transforming the Detroit landmark from a symbol of decay into a hub of innovation.
This major achievement aligns with the ethos of Quinn Evans, which was founded in 1984 by two University of Michigan-trained architects, Michael Quinn, M.Arch ’74, and David Evans, M.Arch ’72. The pair set out to establish a preservation architecture firm dedicated to community revitalization, sustainable design, and employee success. The prestigious AIA honor recognizes 40 years of notable architecture and notes that Quinn Evans was one of the first firms “to demonstrate that sustainable design can and must be incorporated into existing and historic buildings.”
Along the way, Quinn Evans stayed true to its roots. Architects trained at U-M’s Taubman College have been well-represented in the firm’s workforce ever since Quinn and Evans hired Larry Barr, B.S. ’80, M.Arch. ‘82, as the first employee in their Washington, D.C., office in 1984.
Barr said the firm employs 32 U-M graduates with architecture degrees. Three of those graduates who played a key role in the Michigan Central Station rehabilitation were Richard Hess, M.Arch ’03, as principal in charge; Jennifer Henriksen, B.S. Arch ’95, as preservation architect; and Angela Wyrembelski, B.S. Arch ’07, as preservation architect. Michigan Central Station, now owned by Ford Motor Co., reopened to the public on June 6.
