FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8295 Oakland
Detroit, Michigan 48211
Paddy Lynch, Proprietor
HISTORIC BALLROOM WINS DESIGN GRANT
We are pleased to announce that the restoration concept for the historic ballroom space above The Schvitz has won the Motor City Match Design Grant and architect Anthony Morin of Omilian & Morin Architecture & Design has been selected to design and oversee the first phase of the project.
Located on Oakland Ave in the heart of the North End, the ballroom was originally home to large religious and cultural events during the 1920s before going on to host everything from notorious bootleggers to high-stakes gambling and racketeering to swinger parties and all kinds of provocative subculture. The wild and colorful history of the infamous Detroit landmark is truly unparalleled. The historic Schvitz bathhouse, which occupies the first two floors of the building, has been in continuous operation for 90 years; however, the top floor of the building faded into nearly 50 years of deferred maintenance and disrepair.
Once finished, the 4,000 square foot ballroom will be restored to its original grandeur, complete with 20 foot vaulted and skylit ceilings, numerous ballroom windows, mezzanines, portable bars and stages, rooftop access, and more.
A Michigan native, Morin studied and practiced in New York City for 10 years before returning home to Detroit. He holds degrees in Architecture from Pratt Institute and Cornell University, and has worked for Allied Works Architecture and ARC Design and Fabrication. Performance spaces and symbiotically intertwined mixed-use programs are a focal point of his practice.
According to Anthony, his primary goal is “the growth of a new era in The Schvitz's historic role as a space for alternative society, cultural significance, and holistic wellbeing.” He explains further, “The building that we today understand as The Schvitz is, in fact, a physical collage of many visions interwoven in layers of material and spatial transformation played out over the last 100 years... Secret rooms and passages, interstitial floors and mezzanines have been built, removed, altered and restored over the years, as the functions of the building changed, leaving a spatial tapestry that makes this building an unparalleled artifact of the North End's diverse history... This is a complex and ideal canvas within which to unfold and integrate the new programs.”
In just over two years of new ownership, programming, and community engagement, The Schvitz has already hosted rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, art exhibitions, dance parties, record releases, femme collectives, sound baths, art house cinema, musical theatre, opera clubs, poetry readings, community meetings, yoga classes, wellness workshops, bridal showers, holiday parties, historic tours, private dining experiences, religious retreats, high school reunions, and numerous charity events. The addition of a restored ballroom and rooftop will give the historic landmark the ability to offer similar programming but at a much larger scale. Newly formed Mi BANK has been engaged to facilitate funding for the project.
To discuss future events, documentation, or potential collaborations, please contact
More details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Doors will open at 5 PM (for co-ed bathing - suit mandatory) and the performance will begin at 8:30 PM.
Steam will be available from 5-10 PM and @82_oak will be open until 9:30 PM.
Tickets for steam and music is $30/$10 for non-steamers.
As always, the club is BYOB and don’t forget your robe and flip flops