by Josh Bagley

On May 14, SFMOMA reopened to the public after a three-year closure to renovate the existing Mario Botta-designed building and to construct the new 235,000-square foot Snøhetta -designed expansion. On August 18, ULI members toured the new SFMOMA. The tour was led by Clara Hatcher, Communications Manager at SFMOMA, and Jon McNeal, Senior Architect at Snøhetta. During the tour, ULI members were treated to an insider’s view of the museum’s design and the associated artwork on display in the galleries. The tour concluded with a networking reception on the terrace of Café 5. Tour highlights include:

• SFMOMA desired to create a more welcoming and open museum experience that further integrated SFMOMA into the neighborhood. As a result, the building and site design responded with multiple entrances, ground floor public spaces, and midblock pedestrian pathways connecting Howard and Natoma Street.

• Richard Serra’s Sequence is one of five artworks on display in a portion of SFMOMA’s 45,000 square feet of free ground floor public space. In these public galleries locals and museum guests alike are welcome to enjoy the works free of charge.

• The new 10-story, 235,000-square foot building triples SFMOMA’s total gallery space. The additional gallery space allows the museum to showcase more of its permanent collection including the world-renowned Fisher Collection.

• In support of SFMOMA’s mission to inspire young people through art experiences the museum will offer free admission in perpetuity to all visitors 18 years old and younger.

• The exterior of the Snøhetta-designed building is comprised of over 700 unique fiberglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) panels with a ripple geometry that appear to shift as light and shadow move across the building.

• The expansion building includes six outdoor terraces for showcasing sculpture and to allow guests to refresh during their museum experience. The architects were intent on combating the potential for “museum fatigue” and made access to the outdoors, sitting spaces, and access to natural light a priority in the design.

• Located on the third floor terrace is the largest “living wall” in the United States featuring over 19,000 plants and a recycled water system.

• The museum expects to achieve LEED Gold certification. As part of their efforts to reduce energy consumption, SFMOMA was one of the first museums in the country to employ all LED lighting throughout the new galleries.

Click here to see some of our favorite photos from the tour!