Radiant Church sought to create a welcoming space in Downtown Kalamazoo for people of all faiths to enjoy.
Radiant Church retained Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering (7GAE) to design a new café for their 26,000-square-foot urban campus located on the Kalamazoo Mall in downtown Kalamazoo. The church purchased the multi-level tenant space with the sole intention of opening a café and making it a destination for everyone downtown to enjoy. It was important to church leaders that the café not feature any church or religious branding or icons in order to create a welcome and inviting social setting for people of all faiths to enjoy.
Upstairs from the café is a worship area used for church functions. 7GAE designed the main center staircase to connect the café to the worship area. The street-level space also features a video recording suite. In addition, the lower level was redesigned to accommodate new classrooms and meeting areas. A modular wooden structure was designed with alternating open latticed bays to provide pockets for natural light infiltration. The renovation also required mechanical system upgrades, ADA compliance, and new foodservice equipment.
Upstairs from the café is a worship area used for church functions. 7GAE designed the main center staircase to connect the café to the worship area. The street-level space also features a video recording suite. In addition, the lower level was redesigned to accommodate new classrooms and meeting areas. A modular wooden structure was designed with alternating open latticed bays to provide pockets for natural light infiltration. The renovation also required mechanical system upgrades, ADA compliance, and new foodservice equipment.