designwire daily | News from SFMOMA on Expansion Plans

News from SFMOMA on Expansion Plans

by Ian Volner | Friday, December 9, 2011

4. Snøhetta, SFMOMA Expansion Howard St. entrance; image courtesy Snøhetta

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is changing up their game plan a bit with regards to their upcoming Snøhetta-designed expansion—and changing their fundraising target along with it, according to new info just released by the museum. The original scheme from the Norway-based design dynamo has been augmented to include more and better facilities for the public at large, including new pedestrian pathways outside and new spaces inside for education, outreach, and orientation, all in order to make the museum appear less of a citadel for high art and more of a civic resource.

1. Snøhetta, SFMOMA Expansion Aerial Southeast Façade; image courtesy Snøhetta

To help make the expanded expansion a reality, SFMOMA has upped its funding goal by $75 million, an increase of nearly a sixth over its initial projected cost of $480 million. The increase looks to be within the bounds of the feasible: since the design was unveiled in May, the museum has raised almost $437 million, and this in the “quiet” phase of the capital campaign.

Snøhetta, SFMOMA Expansion Art Court; image courtesy Snøhetta

The changes seem to be aimed at sweetening the expansion deal for various community interests in San Fran, and if that’s the case then it certainly looks like they’ve hit their mark: said San Fran mayor Ed Lee, “Art lovers, schoolchildren, our hospitality industry, construction trades, and the Yerba Buena neighborhood will all benefit.”

The San Francisco Museum of Art is located at 151 Third Street, San Francisco, California, 415.357.4000.