For 25 years, the Grand Rapids Public Museum Archives served as secure storage for more than 250,000 artifacts and specimens, about 95 percent of the museum’s collections. O-A-K partnered with the museum and the City of Grand Rapids to turn it into a space where students, researchers, and the community can interact with those collections directly. dailypress

The renovation added a new plaza, a reception area featuring salvaged City Hall floor tiles, and two 30-student classrooms, including an artifact lab with direct access to the collection and glass walls that open the space to view. Because work took place next to a quarter million irreplaceable objects, close coordination kept the collection protected throughout construction. The Archives opened to the public on September 16, 2026.

Project Scope:

• New outdoor plaza and public entrance
• Reception area featuring salvaged Grand Rapids City Hall floor tiles
• Two full-size classrooms, each with capacity for 30 students
• First-floor artifact lab classroom with direct access to the collection
• Retractable glass wall for flexible classroom use
• Permanent glass viewing wall into the archives
• Collection protection throughout construction