Snohetta’s Addition to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Snohetta’s Addition to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in May unveiled preliminary renderings of Snohetta’s design for a new wing, which promises more public spaces and a greater public profile. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2016. Image courtesy of Snohetta.

Snohetta partner Craig Dykers, AIA, says the 225,000-square-foot expansion will “create a horizon in the skyline that connects, rather than segregates, the different parts of the city that border it.” Image courtesy of Snohetta.

An outdoor pedestrian promenade will feature a series of stairs and landing terracing that lead up to a sculpture garden courtyard. ”Pedestrian routes will enliven the streets surrounding the museum and create a procession of stairs and platforms leading up to the new building,” says Snohetta partner Craig Dykers, AIA, “echoing the network of paths, stairways, and terracing that is a trademark of the city.” Image courtesy of Snohetta.

In addition to the pedestrian promenade, the New York and Olso-based firm is designing a large street level gallery encased in glass. Image courtesy of Snohetta.

The wide, low-slung addition will rise 50 feet above the brick original wing of the SFMOMA, which was designed by Mario Botta and completed in 1995. It largely acts as an urban framing device for the Botta building, slicing out and tapering asymmetrically as it rises. Image courtesy of Snohetta.

With its exactingly textured brick and black and white oculus atrium, the SFMOMA already has a considerable iconic presence in its South of Market neighborhood. From a formal and material standpoint, at least, the addition looks to be more restrained. Image courtesy of Henrik Kam.

In the past several years, Snohetta has been tapped for larger and larger cultural commissions across the globe, such as the Alexandria Library in Egypt. Image courtesy of Snohetta. Photo by Gerald Zugmann.

In their native country of Norway, Snohetta designed the National Opera and Ballet building in Oslo. Image courtesy of Snohetta. Photo by Jens Passoth.

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