CLEVELAND — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday it will break ground next month on a 50,000 square-foot, $135-plus million project to expand the museum. 

What You Need To Know

  • The expansion, which will begin October, is being designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism

  • It's expected to increase the Rock Hall's size by one third

  • PAU said it will preserve the museum's distinct identity, and the expansion is expected to feature a new entry lobby, publicly accessible space, exhibition spaces, offices an education center and more

The expansion is being designed by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU). The Rock Hall said it will incorporate the museum's iconic shape with the urban Cleveland lakefront. 

It's expected to increase the Rock Hall's size by one third. 

"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. “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.” 

Rendering of the expansion project. (Photo courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

PAU said it will preserve the museum's distinct identity. The expansion is expected to feature a new entry lobby, publicly accessible space, exhibition spaces, offices, an education center and more. 

“The renowned architecture of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is symbolic of the innovation and creativity of generations of music icons,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum President and CEO, Greg Harris. “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.” 

Rendering of the expansion project. (Photo courtesy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said PAU's design "reinterprets Pei’s organization of solid shapes 'dancing' around a central transparent pyramid." One of the features is a triangular-shaped building that will extend outward from the current glass structure. The design also is an ode to the city's industrial past, as it incorporates black steel and specular granite. 

The goal is to improve the visitor experience, but also pay attention the aesthetics and functionality of the current building. There will be a large accessible atrium where the two structures converge, welcoming visitors and using circulation pathways that connect the street to an exterior lake promenade, becoming an urban pedestrian link, the museum said.