UCLA’s Hammer Museum to undergo major renovation

UCLA’s Hammer Museum announced Thursday that it will undergo a major renovation of its existing space along with adding 40,000 square feet of new space acquired from an adjoining office tower.

The project will be led by architect Michael Maltzan and is expected to be completed by 2020.

“After years of continuous growth, the Hammer is in need of a physical expansion and upgrade to provide more art for our audiences, more places to study, and more places to gather,” said Ann Philbin, director of the Hammer Museum.

“This transformation will provide 60 percent more exhibition space including collection galleries and a works on paper gallery to highlight our growing collection of photographs and drawings.”

Philbin said the project’s goals include expanding the galleries by 60 percent, increasing visibility of the museum with “a dramatic new presence along a full city block of Wilshire Boulevard,” enhancing 20,000 square feet of community spaces, and adding a two-story expansion of workspace.

“The Hammer has become an essential destination in Los Angeles,” Maltzan said. “This transformation will make it dramatically more visible and inviting, more connected, more immersive. It will mark a major new chapter for what the Hammer is, and what it can be.”

–City News Service