The Broad has announced a $100 million, 55,000-square-foot expansion of its contemporary art museum, which will provide enhanced public access to its growing collection, marking a massive commitment to both downtown and the arts.

Founded by Eli and Edythe Broad in 2015, the museum has welcomed more than 5.5 million visitors to date, regularly attracting nearly four times more visitors than originally envisioned.

“In the brief period since 2015, our building has become an icon in Los Angeles’ cultural and civic landscape,” Joanne Heyler, founding director of The Broad, said in a statement. 

The expansion, designed by New York-based architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, is expected to build off the existing structure of the museum while adding new elements, connecting its footprint to extend from Grand Avenue to Hope Street.

In total, the expansion increases The Broad’s galleries by 70% and adds two top-floor open-air courtyards, a flexible live programming space that can be used for performances or multimedia installations, and a new immersive storage vault that will be open to visitors.

The Broad collection has more than 2,000 postwar and contemporary artworks and is well known for its pieces from artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Roy Lichtenstein, Takashi Murakami, Andy Warhol and others. As its collection grows, the museum plans to increasingly include artists and perspectives that were historically left out.

“With Joanne Heyler’s skilled leadership, The Broad has exceeded the expectations I shared with my late husband Eli, and it is time to set the museum on course for the future,” Edythe Broad said in a statement.

And in a time in which many developers have their doubts about downtown’s long-term viability, The Broad’s investment says otherwise.

“The Broad is a hub that contributes to the cultural and economic vitality of downtown Los Angeles, welcoming visitors from all corners of our city and around the world,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “This expansion will help make the arts more readily available to all who visit downtown, and help shape Grand Avenue into an even more inclusive, world-class arts destination.”

Construction of the expansion will begin early next year; it is expected to open by summer 2028. General admission will continue to be free.