The Emory Arts + Culture Hub

A major renovation transformed a formerly vacant building into a vibrant headquarters for an arts-focused nonprofit that serves Grand Rapids youth.

The Emory Arts + Culture Hub provides a home base for The Diatribe, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that supports youth in using creative arts to tell stories, uplift underrepresented voices, and disrupt systems of oppression.
The 22,337 sf facility’s ground floor houses the Diatribe’s headquarters as well as multiple commercial tenant spaces. Downstairs, The Retort offers a performance venue for the Diatribe as well as rentable event space available to local businesses and community members. On the upper floor, seven affordable apartment units with a variety of layouts offer live-work opportunities with access to creative spaces.
The vibrant color palette and unique material choices set The Emory apart; the striking facade and interiors reinforce the organization’s values of boldness, creativity, and authenticity. In order to meet The Diatribe’s mission of serving a diverse community, the entirety of the project meets Universal Design standards. The design incorporates zero step entries, interior ramping, and wide corridors, and all apartment units are ADA-compliant and barrier-free.
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Scale
22,337 sf
Category
Community
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