Rock Hall to break ground in October on addition increasing its size by a third
Sep. 14—The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame plans to bulk up.
The attraction on Cleveland's North Harbor announced recently it will break ground in October on a 50,000-foot expansion project. That, according to a news release from the Rock Hall, will increase the size of the museum by about a third.
Drawing millions of visitors from around the world, the Rock Hall says the expansion "will integrate the iconic original building designed by I.M. Pei with the urban Cleveland lakefront" and that $135 million has been raised for the project.
The addition — designed by New York City-based PAU under the leadership of its founder and creative director, Vishaan Chakrabarti, — takes cues from the visual language of Pei's 1995 signature glass pyramid while preserving its distinct identity as a Cleveland landmark and activating the surrounding streetscape and lakefront, the release states. The expansion will feature a new entry lobby and publicly accessible space, exhibition spaces, offices, a state-of-the-art education center and a multipurpose venue that will be more than 6,000 square feet.
"The renowned architecture of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is symbolic of the innovation and creativity of generations of music icons," said Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum President & CEO, Greg Harris, in the release. "Thirty years after we broke ground on the original structure we embark on this next chapter in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's legacy, including expanding the museum's world-class education and exhibition offerings, and we are thrilled to partner with the architectural and design visionaries at PAU, including Vishaan Chakrabarti."
"This transformation will expand the Rock Hall's iconic structure to meet the demands of its evolving mandate: to showcase the past, present and future of rock & roll as the defining sound of each generation's youth," said Chakrabarti, founder and creative director of PAU, added in the release. "Our design welcomes visitors by pulling the forces of the City, the Lake, and Pei's Pyramid together into a new triangular composition that centers on a dynamic, aural, and inclusive public interior that flows from the streets to the waterfront—a destination that declares this must be the place."
The release continues: "PAU's design reinterprets Pei's organization of solid shapes dancing around a central transparent pyramid. A triangular-shaped building interlocks with and extends outward from the original glass structure. Specific programmatic elements are articulated as solid shapes asymmetrically arranged under a tilted triangular roof. Clad in black steel and specular granite, the façade evokes Cleveland's industrial past while representing a contemporary counterpoint to Pei's design."
The aim is to set a new tone for the visitor experience while responding functionally, operationally and aesthetically to the existing pyramid, the release adds.
"Where the two structures converge, a large publicly accessible interior atrium welcomes visitors, drawing in passersby with circulation pathways that connect the street to an exterior lake promenade. In addition to functioning as an urban pedestrian link, the new venue and exhibition spaces provide greatly increased flexibility to allow for larger exhibitions and events. By weaving indoor and outdoor public and programmatic spaces, PAU's design transforms the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame into both a lively new cultural destination as well as a civic gathering space seamlessly integrated with the city."
The just-announced 2023 Rock Hall inductees won't please everybody — Commentary
No official completion date exists, says a Rock Hall spokesman in an email, but the hope is to have it done by spring 2026.
