Architecture of the Restorative Fragment: The Value of Art as a Cultural Communicator in Detroit

Author

• Korri Ryan Dragt

Files

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture

College

Arts and Sciences

Department

Architecture

Faculty Advisor

Stephen Wischer

Studio Coordinator

Stephen Wischer

Faculty Chair

Susan Kliman

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

URI

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Abstract

Art and architecture have always been deeply intertwined with the human condition. These areas of humanity give context to our lives and the experiences we share, providing a deeper understanding of ourselves, our communities, and the world we exist in. This traditional value of these artforms has gradually been lost, resulting in a disconnect between cultural contexts and our social spaces. Influenced by the philosophical framework of the restorative fragment, this thesis studies the reintegration of art and architecture as communicators of stories and reimagines the ways in which we interact with the arts in our urban environments. The architecture exists as a mediator between various fragments that were discovered in the city of Detroit. Through a poetic reinterpretation of the site’s contextual identity into architectural design, this project explores stories–past, present, and future–through the integration of art and spaces of discovery.

Recommended Citation

Dragt, Korri Ryan, "Architecture of the Restorative Fragment: The Value of Art as a Cultural Communicator in Detroit" (2025). Architecture Theses. 43.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/architecture-theses/43