Johnston Marklee has been selected to design an expansion to the Bass Museum of Art.

The Bass opened in 1964 on Miami Beach and, today, it plays an important role during Art Basel.

The cultural institution has a large permanent collection and regularly hosts contemporary art exhibitions.

The expansion by Johnston Marklee will bring a new pavilion on the southwest corner of Collins Park to the museum grounds. 

A new elevated exhibition gallery is planned to host contemporary and experimental media, and a new multipurpose outdoor patio with ample shading is also slated for construction.

The patio will be used for outdoor film screenings, poetry readings, small performances, and more activations.

New outdoor sculptures speckled throughout the campus will bring more of the museum into the exterior realm.

“Through careful analysis of light and shadow, space and volume, and the surrounding park and urban context, we are planning a transformative project that will increase public access to the museum’s programs and artworks,” Sharon Johnston said in a statement.

Johnston Marklee is building upon a rich architectural history.

The Bass Museum of Art is located in a former public library, an art deco building completed in the 1930s by architect Russell Pancoast. 

In 2001, Arata Isozaki completed a new wing at the Bass. Isozaki designed a second level to house 16,000-square-feet of exhibition space.

This initial project by Isozaki was followed by a series of more renovations by Isozaki and David Gauld that lasted through 2017.

Mark Lee noted the goal driving the expansion is to continue “the storied architectural heritage of the museum, preserving Russell Pancoast’s 1942 art deco design while honoring Arata Isozaki’s vision of a porous campus.”

To help finance the expansion, the Bass received $20 million from Miami Beach’s General Obligation Bond.

The project is supported by the local voting community, having earned approximately 65 percent approval from Miami Beach, the Bass said

A construction timeline for the Bass expansion was not announced.