Story

Steel Supply and Engineering was contracted by Rockford/Pepper for the structural and miscellaneous steel package for the new Grand Rapids Art Museum in downtown Grand Rapids. SS&E provided multiple stairs including two monumental stairs located in the lobbies. Each stair was fabricated using heavy beam stringers and cladded in plate steel. Terrazzo treads, aluminum cladding and drywall bulkheads were added to finish the stairs. SS&E furnished and installed all of the glass rails, stainless steel handrails, and smoke containment rails on the stairs and around the openings.

The large scope, tight site, and aggressive schedule made this a challenging project. SS&E was tasked with installing most of our products along with the finish trades to keep the rails safe during construction. SS&E also furnished and installed stainless steel mesh rails for the patio and exterior stairs. The patio rails were a complete custom system fabricated in our shop with bolt connections and then broken down and reinstalled onsite.

Thank you to Rockford/Pepper for the opportunity to work on this fun and challenging project.

Budget $900,000.

Supervision Dan Slabbekoorn & Bill May.