On the corner of Kercheval and McClellan, a crisp white wall of CMU blocks is perforated by a constellation of miniature rounded windows. In the middle of each brick, a circle of glass offers a translucent, impressionistic glimmer of the interior, transforming the building’s formerly industrial shell into a sort of public sculpture. It’s a tantalizing gesture, and one that piques curiosity about what’s on the other side of the wall. Turn the corner, and a grand public stoop awaits. From a shared plaza, a quartet of local businesses and non-profits now animate a mixed-use civic hub.   

The Lantern.

Part of the fast-evolving Little Village arts campus east of downtown Detroit, the complex — dubbed The Lantern — reshapes a shuttered commercial bakery and warehouse with a growing number of commercial and cultural institutions. Designed by OMA’s New York office, the adaptive reuse project has so far introduced taproom Collect Beer Bar, letterpress studio Signal-Return and the Progressive Art Studio Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting artists with developmental disabilities and mental health differences. The latest addition? Clothing shop Coup D’état.

The entrance to Coup D’état is tucked into the far corner of The Lantern’s inner courtyard.

Tucked into the southwest corner of the building, the boutique leverages the perforated CMU wall into a studio setting. Founded by Angela Wisniewski-Cobbina in 2019, Coup D’état began in Detroit’s New Center neighbourhood, quickly becoming a popular destination, known for its meticulously curated selection that showcases renowned international brands (inclusing MM6 Margiela, Sandy Liang, Julia Heuer and Collina Strada) alongside emerging and established Detroit-based designers.

According to Wisniewski-Cobbina, the shop’s architecturally striking new home helps reinforce its status as a destination. “You have to be able to give your guests and your clients a little bit more of an experience now,” Wisniewski-Cobbina told The Detroit Free Press ahead of the relocation. “People changed the way they shop in the past four years. We’re competing with e-commerce, Jeff Bezos… As a multi-brand retailer, sometimes I’m even competing with the designers and brands themselves.”

Fortunately, there’s nowhere quite like The Lantern. Soon to be joined by a new café, the complex has quickly become a local hub. For Coup D’état, the building’s distinctive design is a calling card. Anchored by a polished concrete floor, the elegantly spare room is accented by an unmistakable — even shocking — central table from local artist Chris Schanck in vivid blue.

Rigorously pared-down yet aesthetically distinctive, the space allows the clothes and accessories on display to take centre stage while creating a quietly striking backdrop. Stepping inside feels like being let in on a well-kept — and exquisitely well-styled — local secret.