Diller Scofidio + Renfro merges old and new for UC Berkeley Art Museum design

New York-based firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro has released its designs for a new UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, planned to open January 2016 in downtown Berkeley, Calif.

The building, located directly across from the UC Berkeley campus, integrates the existing 48,000-sf Art Deco-style building with a new 35,000-sf structure. In a press release, Charles Renfro, a Partner at Diller Scofidio + Renfro, says the new museum’s design merges the old and new to create a permeable interface between the institution and the public.

The building will provide 25,000 sf of exhibition space, as well as spaces for film screenings and public access to BAM/PFA collections.

In addition, a large outdoor LED will be integrated into the new structure for public film screenings.

With a philanthropic capital campaign and private sources, the project collected $112 million since 1997, after a seismic survey determined that Woo Hon Fai Hall, BAM/PFA’s current building, does not comply with today’s earthquake safety standards.