town ▁Detroit , ▁Michigan , ▁on ▁the ▁campus ▁of ▁Wayne ▁State ▁University . ▁The ▁buildings ▁were ▁built ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁and ▁were ▁designed ▁by ▁architect ▁Minor u ▁Yam as aki ▁to ▁inter rel ate ▁function ally , ▁spatial ly , ▁and ▁architect ur ally . ▁The ▁buildings ▁were ▁constructed ▁at ▁a ▁critical ▁point ▁in ▁Yam as aki ' s ▁career ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁experiment ing ▁with ▁orn ament ation , ▁light ▁and ▁shadow , ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁po ols ▁and ▁gard ens ▁to ▁soft en ▁per ception ▁of ▁standard ▁International ▁Style ▁architecture . ▁The ▁complex ▁was ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁Wayne ▁State ▁University ▁h ired ▁architect ▁Minor u ▁Yam as aki ▁to ▁design ▁the ▁McG reg or ▁Memorial ▁Conference ▁Center . ▁The ▁commission ▁came ▁after ▁Yam as aki ' s ▁long ▁con val esc ence ▁and ▁subsequent ▁trip ▁to ▁Japan , ▁and ▁was ▁his ▁first ▁opportunity ▁to ▁put ▁into ▁practice ▁his ▁re - en vision ment ▁of ▁architecture . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Wayne ▁State ▁h ired ▁Yam as aki ' s ▁firm ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁master ▁plan ▁for ▁the ▁University ' s ▁urban ▁campus . ▁ ▁Both ▁the ▁McG reg or ▁Center ▁and ▁the ▁campus ▁master ▁plan ▁were ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁McG reg or ▁Center ▁opened ▁to ▁immediate ▁acc ol ades ▁from ▁architect ural ▁mag az ines ▁who