DS+R partner Charles Renfro says the University wanted the musuem—which is situated at the crossroads of an arts district, the city of Berkeley, Berkeley’s campus, and a commercial district—to play a prominent role in community life. "Museums have changed in past 50 years,” says Renfro, “in such a way that they're much more civic institutions.”
The 83,000 square-foot building will include 25,000 square feet of gallery space, two theaters, four study centers, a reading room, an art-making lab, numerous gathering areas, and a café (seen here) that's cantilevered over the main entrance. Set to open January 31, 2016, the museum's most striking feature is a stainless steel-clad volume that contains the larger of its two theaters.
Photo by Iwan Baan. Image courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro; EHDD; and UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA).The story behind this unique design actually begins with another building: Woo Hon Fai Hall, designed by architect Mario Ciampi and former home to BAMPFA. Originally opened in 1970, Ciampi’s building was determined to be noncompliant with earthquake safety standards in 1997. Structural upgrades would limit and alter its gallery spaces beyond usability. An added complication: the building also housed the University’s film program in one of its theaters. A new home for both museum and film program would have to be found; an initial design by Tadao Ando proved too costly when an economic downturn struck. Finally, the University selected DS+R after an ideas competition to renovate and expand an existing Art Deco building – the university’s former press – with a budget of $112 million. The museum will open on January 31, 2016 with the exhibition “Architecture of Life” that will run through May 29, 2016.
