Although the club was founded in 1907, and had several previous locations, it was not until 1928 when the club realized its goal of building a permanent home.  Lancelot Sukert (1888-1966) was chosen as the architect by a panel of fifteen member architects, that included Albert Kahn (1869-1942), Wirt Rowland (1878-1946), and William (Buck) Stratton (1865-1938, member 1926). 

Sukert studied architecture at Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. His vision was to design a building that would be a composite of ideas contributed by many of the Scarab Club members.

The club’s first floor contains the main office and a substantial exhibition space. The second floor houses a lounge and exhibition space.  The beams serve as a guest book for the club, with signatures of important local, national, and international personalities.  Luminaries such as, John Sloan, Diego Rivera, Norman Rockwell, and recently Elmore Leonard of Get Shorty fame have all signed these famous beams. 

Through archival research and the use of historic photographs, the original furniture in the second floor lounge was identified and returned to the layout suggested by the architect. This effort helps place a current visitor in the same type of environment that a 1928 visitor would have enjoyed.              

This structure offers six quaint loft studios, located on the club’s third floor.  Over the past eighty-years, some of Detroit’s best-known and loved artists have rented studios at the Scarab Club.