Renovation & Expansion

Since 1912, the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) has served as a regional anchor with a distinguished permanent collection and innovative educational programming. The museum’s 26,000-square-foot expansion nearly doubles its size, adding new exhibition spaces, expanded classrooms, improved visitor amenities, and enhanced support areas for collections and art handling.

Expanded Galleries and New Opportunities

The expansion introduces extensive, climate-controlled galleries designed to support traveling exhibitions and the museum’s growing programming needs. A significant highlight is the creation of one of the nation’s only permanent galleries dedicated to the work of women artists. Additional upgrades include expanded educational space, increased collection storage, and improved areas for art loading, movement, and exhibit preparation.

A Contemporary Addition Adjacent to Historic Fabric

The new addition sits beside the 1911 Hackley Building and the 1980s Walker Building. Its palette of glass, bronze, anodized aluminum panels, and dark brick establishes a contemporary counterpoint to the original masonry façade, creating a cohesive interface between old and new.

A Reoriented Entrance and Connected Campus

A significant component of the project repositions the museum’s main entrance to align with the center of downtown Muskegon, improving visibility and access. A new lobby gallery links the original building with the addition, while a multi-level circulation spine provides clear wayfinding and connects to a new roof terrace. A new accessible entrance through the historic building allowed the museum to remain open during construction and will serve as the dedicated group entrance from now on.

Engineering Solutions for a Phased, Occupied Renovation

Maintaining visitor access during construction also required an early reconfiguration of the museum’s entry sequence. Mueller Associates supported the design team, led by Annum, in developing an early bid package for a temporary entrance on Webster Avenue, allowing the museum to remain open throughout the addition work and ultimately serving as the dedicated group entrance.

The expansion further necessitated relocating the existing air-cooled chiller to a more suitable position on the site. During the chilled water system redesign, Mueller incorporated additional pumping redundancy to enhance long-term system performance without disrupting museum operations.

Utilities along the existing north wall, located directly within the footprint of the new addition, required coordinated relocation. Stormwater discharge was rerouted to a new manhole location, and outdoor air intakes and exhaust louvers were redirected through the existing building to new rooftop penthouse louvers.

Supporting the Museum’s Next Century

With improved galleries, upgraded building systems, and a more visible public presence, the Muskegon Museum of Art’s expansion strengthens its role as a cultural resource for the region while preparing the institution for future growth.