Design Legacy on Display

MillerKnoll Unveils Museum-Like Archives in Holland

This October, design lovers will have the rare opportunity to step into a space where the past, present and future of modernism converge.

MillerKnoll, the West Michigan-based global design powerhouse, has unveiled the MillerKnoll Archives—a 12,000-square-foot research and exhibition center located at the company’s Design Yard headquarters in Holland. More than a celebration of furniture, the archives are a curated experience tracing over a century of influential design.

The new facility brings together, for the first time, the archival collections of Herman Miller and Knoll—two of the most iconic names in modern furniture. The result is a museum-like space where visitors can experience the evolution of design thinking, from early prototypes to present-day innovations.

“The debut of the MillerKnoll Archives invites our communities to experience design history—and imagine its future—in one dynamic space,” said Ben Watson, chief creative and product officer at MillerKnoll.

Designed in collaboration with New York consultancy Standard Issue, the archives are divided into three thoughtfully curated zones: an exhibition space, open storage, and a reading room.

The inaugural exhibition, Manufacturing Modern, anchors the experience. Through a striking selection of furniture and ephemera, the show explores the parallel and often intertwining histories of Herman Miller and Knoll. On display are iconic works by Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, among others. Together, their designs helped define the aesthetics and ideals of 20th-century modernism—and their influence still resonates across offices and homes today.

In the open storage area, over 300 design pieces are on view, tracing the evolution of modern furniture from the 1920s to the present. Rare gems include a prototype of the Womb® Chair gifted by Eero Saarinen to his mother, Loja; office innovations by Florence Knoll; and groundbreaking work by Gilbert Rohde first shown at the 1933 World’s Fair. Complementing the furniture, wall-mounted art racks showcase advertising and photography by Herbert Matter, George Nelson, and the Eameses.

Next door, the reading room offers a quiet, scholarly counterpoint. Here, researchers and design enthusiasts alike can dive deep into more than 250 linear feet of archival materials. Highlights include engineering drawings for the Eames Lounge Chair, layout mockups by Florence Knoll, and internal memoranda that reveal the rigor and experimentation behind now-classic pieces.

“Bringing together the Herman Miller and Knoll archival collections has been an incredible privilege,” said Amy Auscherman, MillerKnoll’s director of archives and brand heritage. “It has been the opportunity of a lifetime to collaborate across brands to unite our shared history, preserve our culture of innovation, and ensure these important design legacies remain accessible for generations to come.”

Although initial tours offered in partnership with the Cranbrook Art Museum sold out quickly this summer, new tours will resume in October, this time in collaboration with Docomomo US. For the most current tour schedules or to inquire about future openings, visit millerknoll.com or contact the Cranbrook Art Museum at (248) 645-3323 or artmuseum@cranbrook.edu.