New Special Exhibit Hall Will Accommodate Large-Scale, Special Exhibitions
The Richard Nixon Foundation announced that KTGY has designed a major expansion of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. The expanded facilities will allow the Nixon Foundation to house large-scale, traveling exhibitions at the Nixon Library.
On April 10, 2024, by a 4-0 vote, the Yorba Linda Planning Commission approved the design by KTGY, which is a Great Places to Work certified design firm focused on architecture, urban design, branded experiences and interior design.
“KTGY is honored to be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said KTGY Associate Principal Geoff Graney. “The Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Museum and Birthplace is one of just 15 Presidential Libraries in the United States. Through storytelling and design we conceptualized a space with artful flexibility, transforming the experience of visitors and reinforcing the Libraries place among historical destinations.”
The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum opened in Yorba Linda in 1990. Subsequent expansions occurred in 2005 and 2007, while a full-scale renovation of the museum’s educational facilities occurred in 2016.
The expansion extends exhibition space up to 22,000 square feet, with a striking design that also matches the character of the existing campus. KTGY’s designers worked within a limited site area to create as much floor space as possible and a loading dock this was in part achieved by creating tuck-under parking.
The design of the new exhibition hall blends a consistency of look, materials, and architectural style with monumentality. The classical colonnade of square columns forms modern lines that emphasize structure and proportion. The exhibition hall gracefully fits many moving parts onto a small site that maximizes open, interior space to host larger special exhibits. The new expansion also includes 1,900 square feet of pre-function space, and an 8,500-square-foot curation, workshop and storage area.
“The Special Exhibition Hall is an important component of the Nixon Foundation’s American Civics Campaign and our work to instill the importance of our country’s founding principles into the everyday lives of our fellow Americans,” said Nixon Foundation President and CEO Jim Byron. “This transformative expansion will help to ensure that the Nixon Library remains an active, populated center of educational advancement.”
The land on which the Special Exhibition Hall will be built was donated by Josie Abplanalp, widow of Robert Abplanalp, longtime friends of President and Mrs. Nixon and the Nixon family.
Through the American Civics Campaign, the Nixon Foundation secured private funding for the Special Exhibition Hall and seeks to build the hall in time for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
Conceptual design of the recently approved Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Rendering by KTGY.
Facilities footprint and landscaping design.
