On October 10th, 17th, and 24th, of 2025, Docomomo Michigan proudly partnered with MillerKnoll, one of the most influential design companies renowned for bringing together a collective of leading design brands, to tour the Design Yard, their corporate headquarters located in Holland, Michigan.  The MillerKnoll Archives holds a curated selection of over 1 million objects that honor early 20th century modernists whose vision of simplicity and function shaped the innovative design of today, in their 12,000 sq.ft. facility dedicated to collection, research and exhibitions.   

On three separate occasions, a combined total of 55 modernist enthusiasts toured the Design Yard facility and feasted their eyes on a collection of furniture that highlighted the evolution of modern design in its newly created MillerKnoll Archives opened in 2024.  The facility, dedicated to collection, research and exhibitions, features an exhibition space, open storage and reading room.    

The tours, which began at the Hub on the main campus, were led by Amy Auscherman, Director of Archives and Brand Heritage,(https://www.docomomo-us.org/news/meet-amy-auscherman-millerknoll-s-director-of-archives-and-our-annual-theme-editor), and assisted by Collections Manager Sara Wood, and Alexa Hagen, Senior Archivist.  

Our first stop was Manufacturing Modern, the inaugural exhibition curated to give the viewer a walk through design history, and experience the collaborative interaction between Herman Miller and Florence Knoll, and their roll in shaping modern design.  Featured in this exhibition were the works of seminal modern designers, Herman Miller, Knoll, Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Marcel Breuer.  Prominently displayed were the iconic Lounge Chair by Eames and Eero Saarinen's Womb Chair.     

The next stop was the Open Storage area, a space holding over 300 pieces, organized chronologically by decade, to trace the development of modern design.  On display were some of the earliest office furniture designs of Florence Knoll and Herman Miller.    

Our third stop was The Reading Room, conveniently located adjacent to Open Storage.  There we perused a trove of archival correspondence, photographs, drawings, and textiles, including design drawings for classics like the Eames Lounge Chair, all easily accessible in flat files and on open shelves (https://news.millerknoll.com/MillerKnoll-Unveils-Archives,-Bringing-Herman-Miller-Knoll-Archival-Collections-Together-for-the-First-Time). 

The tour concluded with a viewing of Keiji Takeuchi’s exhibition of 19 Walking Sticks and Canes from designers he admires.    

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