#HTE

A Sneak Peek at the Newly Renovated SFMOMA!

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) reopens this week after a massive three-year renovation that sees the museum increase in size from 70,000 square feet to 170,000 square feet. Norwegian firm Snøhetta have added a ten story iceberg-like building to the existing the museum (designed by Mario Botta in 1995) which is hard to say whether it dominates or honors the original site, but inside the two buildings are seamlessly joined with linking corridors that give the illusion of one giant gallery. 

In an effort to make the museum more accessible and reach a broader audience the museum will be open 7 days a week and free to anyone under the age of 18. Visitors can navigate the exhibitions with a location aware app developed by Detour that adjusts the audio tour in real-time so you don’t have to interact with the screen and can focus on the art. 

Snøhetta didn’t want to create another ‘spectacle’ building for the cultural institution—and they didn't—they’ve given a lot of consideration to the physical scale of the galleries, the use of natural light, created multiple outdoor spaces and a living wall garden that brings some much needed greenery to the site. The sculptured exterior is made from over 700 panels of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) inspired the rippling waters of the San Francisco Bay and the cities fog. The panels are cheaper to produce than concrete and extremely lightweight which contributed to further structural cost savings.

One of the nicest details is an art conservation room featuring floor to ceiling windows that allow visitors to get a peek at the inner workings of the museum. The studio will also function as a place for invited artists to train staff in their techniques and host small workshops.

The museum opens May 14th, 2016 and for the designer’s reading, don’t miss the Typeface to Interface exhibition documenting the rapid transformation of digital typography and it’s impact on graphic design.

SFMOMA
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Open daily: 10am – 5pm
(Thursdays until 9pm)

New entrance

The glass-enclosed ground floor gallery offers maximum natural light for Richard Serra’s 213 ton sculpture 'Sequence’

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Richard Serra’s Sculpture 'Sequence’ (2006)

12 curved steel sections, nearly 13 feet high fill the ground floor of the museum’s admission-free zone.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Stadium seating

A place to rest and meet overlooking the Serra sculpture

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Elevator door wayfinding typography

There are two elevator banks in the museum color coded in red and silver to help visitors navigate between the buildings.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Sculpture terrace

Visitors can step outside on the 7th floor and take in a view of the city.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Composite panel exterior

The 10-story facade is covered in more than 700 panels of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) inspired the rippling waters of the San Francisco Bay. Not only are they lightweight, the panels are cheaper than concrete to produce and this is the first time a composite system has passed the rigorous fire-regulation.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Art conservation room

In an effort to share the Museum’s inner workings with the general public, visitors can view artwork as it’s restored from the balcony on the 7th floor. The multi-purpose studio will also serve as a place to host workshops and training sessions from invited artists.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Art conservation room

Extreme effort is taken to purchase the exact art materials needed to restore a piece – typically in consultation with the artist if possible.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Wall drawing 895 / Loopy Doopy

Plans for the Sol Lewitt drawing featured in the Museum’s ground floor atrium. The composition of 'Loopy Doopy’ was modified to accommodate the layout and scale of the Schwab Hall architecture.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor

Video installation

There are two rooms dedicated to showcasing film and video installations.

Photo credit: Glen Jackson Taylor