In 2026, a groundbreaking will take place for an 83,000 square foot modernization of the Huntington’s Library building, which was originally designed by architect Myron Hunt in 1919.
The 116-year-old structure will become the Library/Art Building or LAB, and according to a press release, transform “outdated back-of-house space” into a series of interdivisional collaboration rooms, study labs, and an 8,000 square foot expansion of conservation studio capacity.
Samuel Anderson Architects will provide expertise on the specifics of conservation studio design and collections storage, while Robert A.M. Stern Architects, known for their success in preserving existing aesthetics while incorporating contemporary comforts, will execute the overall design.
The modernization will replace the current library stacks with “state-of-the-art storage” that will contain eight linear miles of the Library’s voluminous collection of 12 million rare books, manuscripts, photographs, prints, drawings, and ephemera. When the new building is complete, it will have a special gallery for the display of light-sensitive materials, which comprise many of the 38,000 drawings, watercolors, and prints in the Huntington’s collection.
“Housing the museum’s works on paper and library collections under one roof will deepen scholarship and spark new forms of inquiry,” said Christina Nielsen, Hannah and Russel Kully Director of the Art Museum. “This kind of proximity will foster not only interdisciplinary research but richer, more nuanced exhibitions.”
The Library modernization follows the announcement in April of the creation of a 33-unit residential complex for visiting research fellows called Scholar’s Grove, which will be built on The Huntington’s campus. Funded by a $40 million dollar gift from Charlie Munger, the complex will feature seven one and two-story buildings with a total floor area of 32,724 square feet.
