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Part Preservation, Part Innovation: Arketype Begins Remodel on Former Church as its New Headquarters
GREEN BAY, WI, November 2, 2006 — One of Green Bay's oldest churches is undergoing an extensive makeover worthy of an extreme television episode. Arketype, Inc., an award-winning Green Bay advertising and design firm is poised to transition from a leased downtown space of just 4,500 square feet to the former Grace Presbyterian Church it now owns, offering three floors and more than 17,622 square feet of office space. According to the company, the building purchase and renovation reflects the group's continued growth and commitment to a vital downtown.
"There's an emerging vision and a growing energy in downtown Green Bay," said Jim Rivett, Arketype Creative Director and Co-Principal. "We wanted to stay downtown because we believe in what's taking shape and want to remain a part of it."
Originally built in 1873 with additions in 1910 and 1929, the church is undergoing its biggest transformation in almost 80 years, and Arketype is investing heavily in the facility's renovation.
But not everything about the church's reconstruction will be new. The firm is salvaging, preserving, and reusing much of the original architectural features and interior elements, some of which are being refashioned in unique ways.
For instance, although many of the church pews were given to staff and friends, some will be positioned throughout the building for additional seating. The remaining pews are resourcefully being reconstructed as bookshelves that will line the firm's in-house library. Other reinterpretations include combining several of the church's Gothic-styled light fixtures into one, reconstructed grand chandelier.
Also salvaged is the church's old organ. Unable to find a home for it, the firm dismantled it, and the pipes, chimes, and pieces will now become a unique art installation for the new location.
"From the beginning, we wanted to maintain the architectural integrity of the building while adapting it to the needs of our business," explained Paul Meinke, Arketype Co-Principal. "We are preserving the stained glass windows, keeping them intact, and are opening up the floor plan so that they can be viewed and enjoyed without obstruction." Meinke also said the building's terrazzo floors are being painstakingly refurbished to their original luster.
Although early in the renovation process, the firm has already uncovered a few surprises. An additional stained-glass window was hidden behind a wall, and an 1889 Sunday school attendance chart listing various churchgoers by name was found tucked in a ceiling. Ironically, an old package of Best Kentucky Smoking and Chewing Tobacco was rolled up inside the poster.
Arketype purchased the church, located at the downtown corner of Monroe and Stuart streets, in July 2004, and is working with Howard Immel, Inc., to reconstruct the facility. The firm hopes to occupy its new offices by January 2007.
Arketype, Inc., delivers strategic marketing advantages to leaders of consumer and business-to-business brands, creating impossible-to-ignore design and advertising solutions. The national award-winning firm, established in 1992 and based in Green Bay, provides clients with diverse capabilities, from annual report design and integrated ad campaigns, to Website development, multimedia production, and original textile design. Arketype is led by principals Paul Meinke and Jim Rivett. To learn more, visit www.arketypeinc.com.
©2005 Arketype Inc
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