San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art gets a major makeover

On May 14, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will reopen after a twoyear, $365 million expansion that doubles its size. Architecture firm SNOHETTA provided the larger museum’s design. Here, Snohetta founding partner CRAIG DYKERS and NEAL BENEZRA, SFMOMA’S director, reflect on some of the decisions they made while “dancing” with Mario Botta’s vision for the original building— and transforming it.

● DYKERS: The new wooden stairs will allow more light into the many spaces adjoining the atrium. In the remainder of the Botta design, the rooms have been carefully protected to maintain their original character.

● BENEZRA: One of the things the new stairs do is provide a perfect viewing area for the two wing walls, and thus another opportunity to share artwork in the free, unticketed space for our visitors.