Review: SFMOMA extension by Snøhetta

By Penny Craswell

The new extension of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta presents a soaring, monumental face, despite the challenges of a restrained site. Spanning over 10 floors, the new extension nearly triples the exhibition space of the museum, creating white, light-filled gallery spaces connected by wide timber stairs.

SFMOMA façade of Snøhetta expansion; photo © Henrik Kam, courtesy SFMOMASFMOMA façade of Snøhetta expansion; photo © Henrik Kam, courtesy SFMOMA
SFMOMA facade of Snøhetta expansion. Photo © Henrik Kam, courtesy SFMOMA

 

The old and new interiors are seamlessly integrated, with the new extension appearing to hug the side of the existing building, a series of brick-clad symmetrical volumes designed in 1995 by Mario Botta. In contrast to the bold, regular forms of the Botta building, the new design is introverted, expanding into the space but with its outer peripheries pinned back, clad in a white, rippling facade. Read more