L.A.'s Broad Museum to Get $100M Expansion

Open for nearly a decade, The Broad has greeted over 5.5 million guests on Bunker Hill. Now, as it approaches its second decade, the museum is planning an expansion that will significantly increase its' exhibition space.

Joanne Heyler, the founding director of The Broad, unveiled proposals to add 55,000 square feet of new construction to the rear of the museum complex, utilizing currently unused space overlooking Hope Street to the west. This project would mark a 70 percent increase in the museum's size.

Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the architectural firm behind the original museum design, is returning for this new project. The existing structure, known for its distinctive "veil and vault" design featuring a white honeycomb exterior enfolding a sculpted grey core, will undergo a transformation for the expansion, featuring a concrete exterior.

The expansion plans include new galleries spanning the first, second, and third floors, as well as open-air courtyards and adaptable spaces capable of hosting performances and multimedia installations. Additionally, there will be a new area allowing visitors to stroll amidst racks displaying artwork from The Broad's 2,000-piece collection, merging gallery and storage space.

“I think of the new building as a companion to the existing Broad,” said Elizabeth Diller in a news release. “The pair shares DNA, but each has its own distinct character and purpose in constant dialogue with its counterpart. The original Broad was conceived as an unfolding experience starting in the lobby, traveling up the escalator piercing the vault, landing in the third-floor gallery immersed in the collection, then snaking down through collection storage on the way back to the street. The challenge of adding more space to the building was to retain this intuitive circulation and logic while introducing a set of completely new experiences for the visitor.”

According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, the expansion project is estimated to cost $100 million, with construction scheduled to commence in early 2025 and completion expected before the 2028 Summer Olympics. The museum will remain open to visitors throughout the construction process.

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