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A Sneak Peek at the Newly Renovated SFMOMA!

By Glen Taylor - May 12, 2016

New entrance The glass-enclosed ground floor gallery offers maximum natural light for Richard Serra's 213 ton sculpture 'Sequence' Glen Jackson Taylor 1 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 2 of 60

Stadium seating A place to rest and meet overlooking the Serra sculpture Glen Jackson Taylor 3 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 4 of 60

Sculpture terrace Visitors can step outside on the 7th floor and take in a view of the city. Glen Jackson Taylor 5 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 6 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 7 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 8 of 60

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. Glen Jackson Taylor 9 of 60

Video installation There are two rooms dedicated to showcasing film and video installations. Glen Jackson Taylor 10 of 60

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Typeface to Interface exhibition An exhibition exploring the shift from analog to digital in visual communication with works selected from SFMOMA's permanent collection of graphic design. Glen Jackson Taylor 22 of 60

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Typeface to Interface exhibition Glen Jackson taylor 25 of 60

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Museum guides Glen Jackson Taylor 31 of 60

Museum guide map Glen Jackson Taylor 32 of 60

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'Fools' (1990) by Ed Ruscha Acrylic paint on canvas Glen Jackson Taylor 36 of 60

Chuck Close portraits Glen Jackson Taylor 37 of 60

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Sculpture garden The 5th floor restaurant opens onto an outdoor sculpture garden. Glen Jackson Taylor 40 of 60

Sculpture garden The sculpture garden can be viewed from multiple windows and provides context for visitors to orientate themselves. Glen Jackson Taylor 41 of 60

Wayfinding signage Glen Jackson Taylor 42 of 60

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Interactive photography gallery Opposite a Sightglass coffee shop on the 3rd floor are series of wall mounted screens with podium style controls. Glen Jackson Taylor 47 of 60

Interactive photography gallery The minimal controls allow users to navigate sideways and view/exit photo stories. Glen Jackson Taylor 48 of 60

Model Behaviour A collection of early concepts Snøhetta explored for SFMOMA Glen Jackson Taylor 49 of 60

Model Behaviour A collection of early concepts Snøhetta explored for SFMOMA Glen Jackson Taylor 50 of 60

Model Behaviour A collection of early concepts Snøhetta explored for SFMOMA Glen Jackson Taylor 51 of 60

Model Behaviour A collection of early concepts Snøhetta explored for SFMOMA Glen Jackson Taylor 52 of 60

Alexander Calder 'Motion Lab' exhibition American sculptor Alexander Calder is considered the originator of the mobile, a type of moving sculpture made with delicately balanced or suspended shapes. Glen Jackson Taylor 53 of 60

Alexander Calder's 'Eighteen Numbered Black' (1953) Metal sculpture acquired by the Fisher family, 1998 Glen Jackson Taylor 54 of 60

Museum store The new retail space spans around the corner with an L-shaped floor plan. glen Jackson Taylor 55 of 60

Museum store SFMOMA branded water bottles Glen Jackson Taylor 56 of 60

Museum store SFMOMA branded tote bags Glen Jackson Taylor 57 of 60

New stairs The old granite stairway has been replaced by a single flight of stairs leading to the second-floor. Glen Jackson Taylor 58 of 60

Coat check at the Minna St entrance Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Atrium Glen Jackson Taylor 59 of 60

Looking up at Alexander Calder's 'Untitled' mobile (1963) Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Atrium Glen Jackson Taylor 60 of 60

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)