As part of the overall renovation of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the lower level of the original building was renovated to provide administrative office space for the Museum's curatorial, human resources, and finance departments. The renovation fulfills a significant part of the Museum's Long-Term Master Plan to vacate leased office space and locate all employees on the Museum campus.

The program included private and open offices, conference space, workrooms, and break areas. The renovation involved significant alterations to architectural finishes, as well as the removal of existing combustible materials (wood plank catwalks and cork insulation) and large-scale upgrades to the mechanical, electrical and life safety systems.

BNIM's design for the new office space left the existing structural system and infrastructure exposed intermittently, and contrasted with highly finished areas of rich materials and bold accent colors. Due to the subterranean nature of the space, the quality of artificial lighting was paramount. The accent colors and rich materials were enhanced by the interplay of artificial light sources to provide a colorful mix of ambient lighting within the otherwise neutral space.