Museum Window Project Underway

Large museum building with modern facade, colorful banner, and pathway, under a blue sky with clouds.

For 75 years, the Detroit Historical Museum has showcased stories of the city’s past on Woodward Avenue. Now, the museum is undertaking a major preservation and modernization project of its own: replacing the building's original steel single-pane windows with new, energy-efficient windows that will preserve its iconic mid-century modern appearance while preparing for the future.

Thanks to a grant received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Detroit Historical Society is in the process of replacing the 65 to 75 year-old windows located in the museum’s third floor staff office spaces, entrance areas, and main stairwell. The windows faced common issues associated with aging – deteriorating materials, broken glass, poor insulation, and limited security. Beyond discomfort for staff and visitors, the outdated windows posed risks to the museum’s artifacts and contributed to inefficient energy use throughout the building.  

When the project is complete this summer, the new aluminum-framed, double-pane windows will improve energy efficiency, strengthen building security, and provide better environmental protection for the museum’s collections. Staff offices will also gain operable windows for the first time, improving comfort and ventilation throughout the workspace. 

Years in the Making 

Planning efforts began in October 2024, when architects assessed the aging windows and developed a solution that balanced preservation with modern performance standards. The window removal process officially began on April 1, 2026, as custom replacement windows were ordered to meet the specifications of the museum’s historic design. Detroit-based Allied Building Service Company is serving as the general contractor, while Metro Detroit company Commercial Glass LLC is handling installation. The custom windows themselves are being produced by Quaker Windows & Doors, a Midwest-based manufacturer.

Maintaining the museum’s historic character has remained a priority throughout the project. Although the museum itself is not part of an official historic district or designation, the Detroit Historical Society determined that the replacement windows would be carefully designed to match the appearance and profile of the originals, preserving the clean lines and distinctive mid-century aesthetic that define the building. 

  • Boxes piled against a wall in a storage room with yellow carts.
  • Office windows covered with plywood, curtains tied back. Ceiling lights and office furniture visible.
  • Sunlit room with large windows, overlooking trees and a parking lot.
  • Two men working by an open window, one standing on a ladder. Bright day outside with buildings in view.
  • View through a window of a parking lot and buildings under a cloudy sky.
  • Room under renovation with large windows, light blue walls, construction materials, and tools scattered on the floor.
  • Spacious room with large windows and patterned carpet, overlooking blooming trees outside.

Scenes from window construction in the third floor staff office spaces.

Careful Construction

Not every section of glass could be removed entirely. In curtain wall sections above the museum’s doors, crews replaced glass panels only using systems from Michigan manufacturer LuxWall, which provide high-performance double-paned glass within a profile that visually resembles the original single-pane design.

One of the project’s greatest challenges has been balancing construction with the protection of artifacts in the museum. Construction took place near sensitive areas — including the stained-glass Tiffany window from Old City Hall, which was temporarily removed, and the Meier Clock, which could not be moved and was carefully worked around. At the same time, staff have had to continually shift office spaces and operations as construction progresses through the building.

Construction is expected to continue into the summer, with major concrete work anticipated to wrap up by mid-June. Please pardon our dust while we make this significant investment in the preservation of the Detroit Historical Museum and the stories housed inside! 

Ornate clock inside a room with large sunlit windows casting grid-like shadows on the floor.

The new stairwell window panels and Meier Clock.

Published
May 20, 2026