Funded through state and federal grants, the $22.5 million Rosa Parks Transit Center is located adjacent to two people mover stations to the north and south. The Center has become the new central terminal for the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), featuring a 25,700 square-foot building with cashier area, indoor passenger waiting areas with real-time arrival and departure information, retail space, and round-the-clock security.
At the heart of the Center is a 64,000-square-foot custom tensile structure clad with PTFE fabric. The mast-supported structure consists of seven A-frames which are 96 feet tall and 60 feet wide at the base and weigh over 36,000 pounds. There are also eight 26-foot-tall trusses that are 116 feet long and weigh over 28,000 pounds. The structure utilizes over 12,000 lineal feet of steel cables.
The unique structure provides enormous aesthetic appeal, as well as shade and weather protection. In addition, the translucent PTFE fabric eliminates the need for artificial light during the day, and the low rings of the structure integrate catch basins to collect rainwater for irrigation.
