Ford Motor Company decided to develop a fully immersive, branded environment for their employees. As part of the transformation of their 305-acre Dearborn campus and in concert with a modernized master plan for the City of Dearborn, the Ford Experience Center is a meeting place where employees, dealers, innovators, and thought leaders can connect, collaborate, and create the future.
This project involved the complete transformation of Ford’s two-story main events facility in Dearborn, a previously dark and uninviting concrete structure. The design of the space is centered around a hospitality experience that is interactive and engaging – allowing its visitors to see and sense where Ford was yesterday, is today, and is heading tomorrow.
The space is adaptable and production-ready to accommodate a wide variety of events, from team meetings to product launches. The two-story showcase and gallery center features a café, full-service kitchen, lecture hall, product launch space, conference rooms, and a pilot program space.
The transformation of the facility re-skinned the façade with electrochromic glass that brings ample light to the interior but can also tint for shade. With a sharp focus on human wellness, the design incorporates two green walls in the café, called the Hive, and ensures that even enclosed rooms have natural light and views of the surrounding lawns. Terraces allow for events to flow outdoors, and the central corridor aligns with the front door of the Henry Ford Museum.
In the central forum, polished white-terrazzo flooring and oak stadium seating form a timeless backdrop for what is in fact a high-tech, production-ready space. At the touch of a button, the lighting can change to suit a cocktail party, presentation, or launch event, and cars rotate on a turntable in the floor. Overhead, a sculpted white ceiling of acoustical plaster conceals lighting and mechanical systems, with cuts that mirror the lines in the terrazzo floor.
The Experience Center allows Ford to share their past and present while writing the future. It is a beacon where progress towards delivering smart vehicles in a smart world can be displayed.
