The light-filled, multi-use building was built to further the educational mission of the museum and become a new cultural destination for the entire community. It will offer spaces for exhibitions, classes, studios and communal activities, all nestled under a 50,000-square-foot floating ‘Grand Canopy’ made of perforated aluminum triangular beams.
Related: The Smithsonian’s Vaulted Canopy Brings Nature and Light Inside
Chosen from a design competition in 2013, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and SO – IL, together with construction company Whiting-Turner, created a building that redefines the concept of a university museum and the way in which the campus community will experience art.
Related: Brooklyn Children’s Museum Unveils Plans for New Eco-Friendly Rooftop Canopy
“The museum’s design was inspired by the agrarian landscape of the Central Valley, which is rich in pattern, texture and color,” said Karl Backus, design principal from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson’s San Francisco office. “We incorporated these elements into the program of the building as a way to create smaller volumes and provide an approachable, human scale.”
Photos by Iwan Baan
