snøhetta's SFMOMA san francisco set to open in may 2016

snøhetta’s SFMOMA san francisco set to open in may 2016
images © henrik kam

the ongoing project of the dynamic SFMOMA (the san francisco museum of modern art) expansion by international firm snøhetta has announced an official opening date of 14th may 2016. over 500 donors contributed to the funding of $610 million which has covered the cost of construction and support for education, art commissioning and exhibition programs at the museum.

‘this expansion enables us to tap more fully into the energy all around us, in a region known for its special creativity and beauty, while greatly increasing the presentations of a collection that includes remarkable concentrations of artworks that can be found nowhere else,’ comments neal benezra, the helen and charles schwab director of SFMOMA. ‘I am thrilled to announce that in just a few months, we will be welcoming the public to the stunning new expansion snøhetta designed to fulfill these aspirations.’

the extension will seamlessly integrate with the museum’s existing 225,000 sq foot building designed by mario botta 

the seven-year project has seen the construction of a 10-storey addition which has seamlessly merged with the museum’s existing building (designed originally by mario botta). the expansive extension will offer three times more exhibition space which will be used to showcase the 260 works of the fisher collection, the new pritzker center for photography and 600 artworks promised to the museum– all of which will be framed by a background of innovatively designed architecture. the official opening will secure early 45,000 square feet of free public access, confirming SFMOMA’s role as a vital cultural and social hub in the heart of san francisco.

read more of designboom’s ongoing coverage of the SFMOMA expansion here.