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At the beginning of the 20th century, the mountains of California were undulating. Westward expansion brought about by the railroad industry changed this, and urban expansion continues today. Today, Chapman University’s Hilbert Museum of California Art houses a collection of art from this important period in the state’s history. Johnston Marklee and SWA recently expanded the museum, utilizing a former industrial building that once housed a dance studio, stitching together a series of gallery spaces and a café around a new courtyard.
The Hilbert Museum is prominently located between North Atchison and North Cypress Streets, in the heart of the Cypress Street Barrio, an area rich in agricultural and industrial history. Johnston Marklee draws from the collections of the Orange Museum in California, suburban settings, and the newly renovated Chapman University campus. The reuse of the former warehouse leans into the area’s past (and present) industry. A large mural by artist Millard Sheets has been installed at the front entrance, giving you a glimpse of the art inside.
Fun along the beachA mosaic piece at the entrance to this low-lying museum building depicts a quintessential California scene: a day at the beach. The work was previously installed on the exterior of a Home Savings and Loan bank but was removed following a settlement in 2018. The bank building’s owners plan to donate the piece to the city or a nonprofit organization. The city refused, leaving the door open to the already eyeing Hilbert family.
“After Janet [Hilbert] I saw Fun along the beach Museum donor Mark Hilbert at Santa Monica Observation Deck“The idea was to add a Millard sheet mosaic to the exterior of the building as a final preview of the art inside.”
Inside, an exhibition highlighting Schitt’s work is taking place. There is a bronze sculpture on the east facade. child on dolphin Written by John Svenson from the same bank.
Johnston Marklee largely retained the building’s existing form and boxy shape during the renovation. The aging corrugated metal and brick facade was replaced with a smooth, more uniform texture and appearance. The exterior’s light, neutral paint references the pastel colors of Chapman University’s campus.
The four new volumes, which the architects refer to as “urban icons,” update the museum’s graphic identity, bring light into the galleries, and integrate the existing architecture with additional components.
The North Building, a former dance studio, has been transformed into a permanent collection gallery and new conference rooms. Here, the architects were careful to match finishes and layout to the south building exhibition spaces. In the south building, a new café and bookstore enhance the visitor experience. Both buildings open to a shady courtyard with a unique oak tree in the center.
In the courtyard, the architects again chose neutral earth tones and materials. Concrete tiles face the oversized column structure in the courtyard, and concrete aggregate spans the floor of the public space.
Like the building and its architecture, the Hilbert Museum’s landscape was influenced by the museum’s collection and considered the broader California context. SWA is responsible for planning the vegetation around the site. The designers chose drought-tolerant native plants.
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