Sharing Grand Rapids Architectural History!

Welcome! Architecture Grand Rapids (ARG) has one important mission - document and share the architectural history of the Greater Grand Rapids area and neighboring cities and towns. Check out AGR’s virtual architectural tours, enjoy the feature stories about homes and buildings, neighborhoods, classic and modern architectural styles. We would like to hear from you! Use the Contact Form to share information about homes, buildings, architects, builders.

Pam VanderPloeg, Director and Website Curator, Architecture Grand Rapids

Featured
SEVEN HISTORIC BUILDINGS (INCLUDING A HOME)
SEVEN HISTORIC BUILDINGS (INCLUDING A HOME)

7 HISTORIC GRAND RAPIDS BUILDINGS AND A HOME Virtual tour designed by Architecture Grand Rapids for Vamonde Destinations - “Travel Like a Local.”

OTTO STARK HOUSE
OTTO STARK HOUSE

This Grand Rapids modern house was designed by Chicago Architect Otto Stark.

NEW OLD THIRD REFORMED CHURCH
NEW OLD THIRD REFORMED CHURCH

Third Reformed Church is getting a new facade and a new life as a community arts center.

Cherry Street Virtual Tour
Cherry Street Virtual Tour

THE RICH LAYERS OF 100 YARS OF HISTORY ARE SHOWN THROUGH THE BUILDINGS SHARED ON THE VIRTUAL CHERRY STREET TOUR.

OTTAWA AND LYON STREET TOUR
OTTAWA AND LYON STREET TOUR

Check out the City-County Administration Building, Calder, Michigan Consolidated Gas Building and much more on this virtual tour.

DESIGNED BY LOUISE GILLEO
DESIGNED BY LOUISE GILLEO

Louise Gilleo designed homes in Grand Rapids in the 1920’s when woman architects were rare.

NEW! THE FURNITURE EXHIBITION BUILDINGS
NEW! THE FURNITURE EXHIBITION BUILDINGS

The Furniture Exhibition Buildings provided display space for the growing Grand Rapids Furniture Market.

FULTON STREET TOUR
FULTON STREET TOUR

FULTON STREET ENCOMPASSES NEARLY 200 YEARS OF GRAND RAPIDS ARCHITECTURE

GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC AUDITORIUM
GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC AUDITORIUM

All that remains of the glorious Grand Rapids Civic Auditorium is the impressive facade and art deco lobby.

RESTORED MODERN BUILDINGS
RESTORED MODERN BUILDINGS

MODERN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS RESTORED. Cull Group Building photo by Cathy Seaver, Cull Group, Inc.

OTTAWA HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD
OTTAWA HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD

The first houses in the historic Ottawa Hills neighborhood were constructed in 1922 on a former golf course.

OSGOOD & OSGOOD STORY
OSGOOD & OSGOOD STORY

SIDNEY J. OSGOOD WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST GRAND RAPIDS ARCHITECTS. Read about the work of Osgood & Osgood.

TEMPLE EMANUEL
TEMPLE EMANUEL

Beautiful Temple Emanuel was designed by modern expressionist architect Erich Mendelsohn.

READ ABOUT ALEXANDER MCCOLL HOUSES
READ ABOUT ALEXANDER MCCOLL HOUSES

The Many Styles of the Popular Architect Alexander McColl

NEW! ALEXANDER MCCOLL MODERN
NEW! ALEXANDER MCCOLL MODERN

The 1956 Alexander McColl-designed house is a rare example of the architect’s ranch style homes.

MATHIAS ALTEN HOME AND STUDIO
MATHIAS ALTEN HOME AND STUDIO

Artist Mathias Alten lived and worked in this beautifully maintained home still owned by the family.

GRAND RAPIDS PARK-SCHOOLS
GRAND RAPIDS PARK-SCHOOLS

Grand Rapids Innovative Park-Schools were part of a building program that began in the 1950’s and resulted in iconic mid-century buildings..

ROZEMA HOUSE IN OTTAWA HILLS
ROZEMA HOUSE IN OTTAWA HILLS

This lovely English style home is found in the historic Ottawa Hills Neighborhood

NEW! MID-CENTURY ARCHITECT E. JOHN KNAPP LIVED TO AGE 101
NEW! MID-CENTURY ARCHITECT E. JOHN KNAPP LIVED TO AGE 101

About E John Knapp AIA, 1916-2017, mid-century modern architect who lived to be 101.

BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW

The book shares the life and work of architect Wirt Rowland who designed the Grand Rapids Trust Building on Monroe Center

HENRY H. TURNER AND THE SCHOOLS
HENRY H. TURNER AND THE SCHOOLS

Henry H. Turner was the Grand Rapids school architect during a great school building boom in the early 1900’s

DOWNTOWN TOURS
DOWNTOWN TOURS

The Flat Iron Building is one of many Monroe Center buildings to see on this virtual downtown Grand Rapids tour.

POST-JOLDERSMA MODERN
POST-JOLDERSMA MODERN

Architect David Post designed this stylish modern home in a popular suburban neighborhood.

VER SHURE - SCOTT HOUSE
VER SHURE - SCOTT HOUSE

Beth and John Scott fell in love with this west side modern, one of the only known homes designed by Daverman company architect Harris A. VerSchure who’s career was cut short by a devastating plane crash.

MODERN HOMES IN WEST MICHIGAN
MODERN HOMES IN WEST MICHIGAN

The stunning Katydid House by noted Kalamazoo architect Norman Carver is just one of the iconic modern homes on the Architecture Grand Rapids WM Modern website.