After three years and 100 million U.S. dollars, the Israel Museum, founded in 1965, is about to pull the wraps off a near-total renovation.
The project, which covered every segment of the 20-acre (some 80,937 square meters) campus, "is the largest collective philanthropic effort ever undertaken for a single cultural institution in Israel," museum officials said in a statement.
The reorganized and expanded galleries and collections include some 500,000 items, in a gallery area nearly double the size of the previous layout, but, through clever reorganization of layout and displays, keeping within the original footprint.
"This was many museums under one roof," museum director James Snyder told reporters at a preview on Wednesday about his impression of the Jerusalem landmark when he began his tenure in 1996.
"How much more powerful this place will be when it becomes one continuous timeline of material culture under one magnificent roof, " Snyder reflected about the project's completion and gala reopening set for July 26.
Officials say the museum's collections range from prehistoric to contemporary art, and contain the world's most comprehensive Biblical and Holy Land archaeological holdings.
The international architectural and design team's aim was to " invigorate, celebrate and realize the original vision for the powerful site and setting," Snyder said.
The expansion nearly doubled the exhibition space to 19,000 square meters, and another 85,000 square meters of gallery area was added to that.
