08 Ford Automotive Experience Center

A new renaissance of car automotive enthusiasm has begun in the 21st century, and many major brands have contributed to tremendous advancements in the automotive industry. These advancements call for new branding and customer interaction that underlines a company’s experience and builds its identity. No city was a greater contributor to the American car industry than Detroit whose landscape is dense with industrial history. Among these many industrial facilities that surround Detroit lies the Ford River Rouge automotive plant, which contributed to the growth of its nearby city host since 1928. As these powerhouses of the industry grew, they worked in conjunction with a nearby island known to locals as “the dirtiest square mile in Michigan.” This site, Zug Island, has served as a steel manufacturing facility for the automotive industry since 1902.

Over its lifespan, Zug Island has riddled the surrounding landscape and watershed with various highly toxic pollutants. Although US Steel abandoned the site in 2020, the site continues to leach into the Detroit and Rouge River and remains a harmful eyesore to the community. Zug Island’s historical connection to both Ford and Detroit, and its desperate need for environmental remediation makes it a prime candidate to address the growing interest in car culture, equip Ford with a means to display their 21st century experience, and provide a renewed landscaped experience for the surrounding community.