The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), a $112 million project that opened in late January, is a mix of old and new.
One part is an adaptive reuse of an Art Deco printing plant from 1939. Interdisciplinary design firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, along with executive architect EHDD, transformed the former printing plant into the primary gallery spaces of the museum.
While the Press Building has as classical look, a sleek new silver structure was added onto it. The new addition houses a film theater, library, study center, and a cafe.
The components total more than 83,000 sf, and a stainless steel ribbon wraps itself around the older structure, providing a visual link.
“The parts and pieces are intended to contrast with each other, but also to work together,” DS+R principal Charles Renfro said, according to the BAMPFA website.
The University of California at Berkeley museum has eight galleries with 25,000-sf of space, a theater, and an art lab. It holds 19,000 works of art and 17,500 films and videos.
The project is DS+R’s third building to open in California over the last year. The firm also designed The Broad Museum in Los Angeles and the McMurtry Art and Art History Building at Stanford University.
The museum's main entrance. Photo: Iwan Baan.
Ground floor gallery. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels.
Corridor above the ground floor gallery. Photo: Elizabeth Daniels.
Aerial view of the BAMPFA. Photo: Iwan Baan.
Related Stories
Art Galleries | Sep 16, 2021
Asia’s first global museum of contemporary visual culture to open in Hong Kong
The museum will open on Nov. 12.
Museums | Aug 31, 2021
The Making of Harry Potter tour set to open on former Toshimaen amusement park grounds
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will operate the facility.
Giants 400 | Aug 30, 2021
2021 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S.
The 2021 Giants 400 Report includes more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Museums | Aug 27, 2021
DLR Group to design new facility for Jacksonville’s Museum of Science & History
The museum has outgrown its location on the Southbank of Downtown Jacksonville.
Museums | Aug 24, 2021
MAD Architects unveils design for Hainan Science and Technology Museum
The project is slated to break ground in late August.
Resiliency | Aug 19, 2021
White paper outlines cost-effective flood protection approaches for building owners
A new white paper from Walter P Moore offers an in-depth review of the flood protection process and proven approaches.
Museums | Aug 17, 2021
The Rubin Museum of Art’s Mandala Lab set to open
The new space occupies the museum’s third floor.
Museums | Jul 23, 2021
First museum devoted to artist-built environments opens in Sheboygan
Tres Birds designed the project.
Museums | Jul 20, 2021
ANOHA — The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin opens
Olson Kundig designed the project.
Museums | Jul 12, 2021
The world’s largest astronomy museum completes in Shanghai
Ennead Architects designed the project.