Seat Walls Breathe Life into Campus

CHALLENGE:A series of sleek, artistic seat walls at the University of Michigan—designed by Stoss to create a luxurious and lively quad that can accommodate performances, events and everyday activities— stand as an example of the endless possibilities with custom precast concrete. The stunning Gerstacker Grove, located on the university’s north campus, breathes new life into an underutilized area—where previously the most notable features were well-worn footpaths in the grass. After months of construction, the $6.9 million project has been renovated and modernized to incorporate a unique central plaza with custom precast seat walls surrounded by a green quad, providing a striking space where students can study, socialize and connect. INFLUENCE:Featuring a unique central plaza surrounded by a green quad, Gerstacker Grove now includes sophisticated, continuous concrete seat walls that frame the walkways frequented by students and faculty, bringing unmatched strength and beauty to the heart of North Campus. SOLUTION:The sleek and artistic project that replaced those well-worn footprints in the grass features 700,000 pounds of Tectura Designs’ custom precast concrete. Tectura leveraged more than 60 years of experience to create this unique and sophisticated project, which includes continuous concrete seat walls that bring unmatched strength and beauty to the heart of north campus. null