Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Progressive Companies has enjoyed a 25-year partnership with Frederik Meijer Gardens, one of the nation's most significant sculpture and botanical experiences. Since the park's opening in 1995, the 270-acre space has hosted over 12 million guests. Our enduring collaboration with the park has resulted in numerous architecture and engineering projects that have enhanced the Gardens' beauty and visitor experience.

Projects have been a continuous endeavor, with highlights including the 15-acre welcome center plaza, the 1.3-acre English Perennial Garden, the 3-acre Volunteer Tribute Garden and pond (in collaboration with sculptor Oliviero Rainaldi), the half-acre Padnos Rooftop Sculpture Garden, the 8-acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden (created in partnership with landscape artist Hoichi Kurisu), the 5-acre Lena Meijer Children's Garden, and the 1-mile-long Frey Boardwalk and Wege Nature Trail.

We've worked on integrated building sculptures by artists like Jaume Plensa, garden redesigns with sculptures by Marshall Fredericks, Cristina Iglesias, and Peter Randall-Page, and featured sculptures by Tom Otterness and Oliviero Rainaldi in the Volunteer Tribute Garden. Our work also involved relocating a collection of Marshall Fredericks' bronze sculptures, collaborating with sculptor Kirk Newman in the Newman Sculpture Garden, and creating installations within the garden trails, including Leonardo da Vinci's Horse Il Cavallo, along with works by multiple sculptors like Magdalena Abakanowicz, Mark di Suvero, Keith Haring, and Arnaldo Pomodoro.

Recent projects have expanded the Gardens even further, including a new welcome center as part of the "Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love" capital campaign, aimed at doubling the annual visitor count to 1.5 million guests. This expansion represents a significant investment of $80 million, featuring a new 60,000-square-foot welcome center, a 20,000-square-foot education center, expanded site parking, an entry plaza, transportation center, amphitheater sponsor seating, multiple gardens, sculpture placements, and renovations of existing buildings.

Notable achievements within this enduring partnership include the creation of the highly interactive Lena Meijer Children's Garden — an innovative children's garden with natural wetlands running through it — as well as the design of the Garden's outdoor amphitheater, known for its acoustics and tiered lawn seating for 1,900 people. The firm also played a vital role in the Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, opened in 2015 and celebrated for its traditional Japanese elements and serene design.

Progressive Companies' collaboration with sculptors has created individual sculpture sites within the Gardens, earning international acclaim for the sculpture park. Our work together with Frederik Meijer Gardens has elevated it to a world-class destination for art and nature lovers alike.