Alaska’s Anchorage Museum has announced plans for a US$17.5m (€15.7m, £11.2m), 25,000sq ft (2,300sq m) expansion to create new spaces for its permanent art collection.

Designed by Anchorage-based McCool Carlson Green, the Rasmuson Wing is being privately financed by Ed Rasmuson, members of the Rasmuson family and the Rasmuson Foundation who own the Rasmuson Centre which the museum is a part of.

The development will add a storey on to the museum’s east wing, with work coinciding with a remodeling of the second-floor historical galleries. The museum will remain open during development, with only galleries affected closed to the public.

Included in the museum’s permanent collection are classic works by the likes of Alaska’s own Sydney Laurence, Eustace Ziegler and Fred Machetanz, with more modern pieces from names such as Alex Combs, Pat Austin and Jim Schoppert.

The expansion will provide more spaces for artists such as these, with temporary exhibition space for rotating exhibitions and better display of the museum’s 26,000-strong collection ranging from contemporary artwork to prehistoric artefacts.

Davis Constructors is general contractor for the project, with an opening date set for September 2017.