-By Danine Alati, Photography by Benny Chan/fotoworks

"From Hate to Hope" is the name of a speaking engagement taking place at the Museum of Tolerance, but the theme of this lecture series—which details the account and reconciliation between a victim of a hate crime and his attacker—represents the overarching concept behind this Los Angeles museum. Created in 1993 as a forum to educate young and old about human rights and embracing the differences among people, The Museum of Tolerance (MOT) is the only one of its kind in the world, serving more than 4 million visitors since its inception and approximately 300,000 people annually, with 1,000 students alone passing through every weekday. This high-density traffic incited a need for an expansion, which Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design in Los Angeles is completing in two phases while the museum remains operational. Finished in late 2008, Phase I entails the redesign and repositioning of interior public spaces including the two theaters, exhibit spaces, a multi-functional learning center, and multipurpose rooms. Phase II, slated to begin construction by the end of this year, will renovate and expand the lobby, rotunda space, and exterior façade.

"This project was part of a larger vision to position The Museum of Tolerance as a cultural center," says Mehrdad Yazdani, lead architect on the project from Yazdani Studio. "The space needed some upgrades, and we looked at how repositioning certain areas would redefine the museum." According to a statement from MOT: "The Museum already hosts major community events and has become a popular venue for film premieres, plays, concerts, and public and private forums…[because it] provides a powerful, immersive learning environment that significantly enhances the value of such professional events. The new space [a total of 20,000 sq. ft.] will enable the Museum to continue providing a venue for such events, which are an important mechanism for outreach to the community and the general public."

The Peltz Theater on the ground floor "had seen better days," according to Yazdani, so his renovation included replacing a dreary palette of wallcoverings and carpet; installing a state-of-the-art sound system and programmable LED effects; and completely redoing the seating arrangement with wider chairs (custom-designed by Poltrona Frau) as well as moving the audience closer to the stage to create a more intimate setting. The new 300-seat theater not only accommodates events held by MOT, but also allows the museum to rent out the space for private screenings. "Now every time a visitor attends an event there, it will be a new experience with coordinating music and changing lights to always make it fresh," the designer says. "Previously, there was a somber feel of an institution; now it can attract the Hollywood set and increase the MOT's interaction with the community."

Outfitted with just 36 seats, the Wosk Screening Theater on the lower level exhibit floor services smaller groups, and a crucial component was the custom-fabricated felt strip wall that integrates all A/V, mechanicals, and lighting, and provides excellent sound absorption. "The felt wall offers superior acoustics, while also creating texture for an interesting visual effect," Yazdani notes. Outside of this screening room, exhibit spaces were revamped with a rotating history wall and new display areas for museum artifacts.

"There are two types or museum goers: hunters and grazers," Yazdani explains. "MOT saw lots of hunters, but not so many grazers, and the renovated exhibit spaces were intended to create more of a destination." Yazdani Studio collaborated with exhibit designer Richard Houghton of London-based HKD to reinforce the three E's that are the objectives of museums: Education, Exhibition, and Entertainment. "MOT seemed to be lacking in the third E of 'entertainment,'" Yazdani recalls. "As long as the audience is interested in the content, the museum will remain a destination. So we worked with the client to define elements that engage visitors."

Yazdani basically redesigned the entire second level from scratch, removing preexisting partitions to create a multipurpose area. Grand, backlit, pivoting walls made of Panelite and 3form panels not only make a design statement, but also reflect the true mission of MOT with larger-than-life images of iconic human rights pioneers on one side and quotations from other activists on the backside of the panels. The pivoting feature provides the flexibility to reconfigure the space for varying functions and group sizes. Two new classrooms also reinforce the educational aspects of the programmatic requirements.

"The total transformation of the second floor into the Youth Action Lab has vastly expanded the opportunities for customized educational programs, especially for elementary school students. The combination of archival displays, including original letters from Anne Frank, and cutting-edge media installed in the classrooms and smart walls helps bridge the past and the present," says Susan Burden, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer at MOT. "The vibrant space provides the ideal setting for exciting family programs, bringing multiple generations together around themes of unity, community, and social responsibility."

Regarding his experiences with this project, Yazdani offers, "It was a challenge to design this first phase as components of an overall vision of a museum that will be. Normally, we have a whole building first, then we get into designing specific areas." In this unique set of circumstances, the designers were simultaneously restructuring the theaters and exhibit spaces while designing the expansion of phase two and trying to make each facet exist harmoniously—a challenging exercise in design, to be sure, but one that no doubt will reap the benefits of the effort by transforming what was a passé museum into an enhanced "edu-tainment" and cultural destination reflective of the MOT's humanitarian mission.

who
Project: Museum of Tolerance Renovation and Expansion. Client: Simon Wiesenthal Center. Architect: Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design; Mehrdad Yazdani, design principal; Paul Gonzales, project manager; Hansol Park, AIA, senior designer; Jessica Yi, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP project architect; Jeremy Whitener, project designer. Interior designer: Yazdani Studio of Cannon Design, Jack Poulin, IIDA. Structural engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers. Mechanical/electrical engineer: IBE Consulting Engineers. General contractor, construction manager: Matt Construction. Lighting designer: Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design. Acoustician: Veneklasen Associates. Furniture dealer: Tangram. Audiovisual: Electrosonic Systems. Exhibit designer: Houghton Kneale Design. Fire/Life/Safety: Rolf Jensen Associates. Photographer: Benny Chan of Fotoworks.   

what
Wallcoverings: EF Walter Inc., Pinta Acoustic, Maharam. Paint: Dunn Edwards, Vista. Plastics: 3Form, Panelite. Dry wall: National Gypsum Company. Flooring: Tile and Stone Emporium (stone and ceramic tile), Fusion Floors (concrete), Armstrong (VCT). Carpet/carpet tile/carpet backing: Bentley Prince Street. Ceiling: Hunter Douglas,  Baswaphon. Lighting: TIR, Kurt Versen, Bega, Bartco, Lighting Services Inc., BK Lighting, Selux. Doors: Eggers Industries. Door hardware: Ives, Corbin Russwin, Von Duprin, LCN. Glass: Paragon. Window frames: Giroux Glass, Inc. Railings: Blumcraft of Pittsburgh. Wood Veneer: Architectural Group Inc. Clerical workstations, administrative desks: Millwork. Clerical/administrative seating, files: Steelcase. Lounge seating: Living Divani, Brayton/Nurture by Steelcase. Cafeteria, dining, auditorium seating: Poltrona Frau, Fritz Hansen. Cafeteria, dining, training, library, conference tables: Vecta/Coalesse. Library and conference seating: Fritz Hansen. Seating upholstery: HBF, Architex, DesignTex., Other seating: Baleri Italia. Signage: Donor Wall by Architectural Sign Group. HVAC: Design Build, ACCO. Plumbing fixtures: Toto.

where
Location: Los Angeles, CA. Total
floor area: 34,450 sq. ft. (Phase I renovation. No. of floors:: 3. Average floor size: 23,000 sq. ft. Capacity crowd: Total all floors:1,789 people. Cost/sq. ft.: $230.