DS+R partner Charles Renfro says the University wanted the musuem—which is situated at the crossroads of an arts district, the city of Berkeley, Berkeley’s campus, and a commercial district—to play a prominent role in community life. "Museums have changed in past 50 years,” says Renfro, “in such a way that they're much more civic institutions.” The 83,000 square-foot building will include 25,000 square feet of gallery space, two theaters, four study centers, a reading room, an art-making lab, numerous gathering areas, and a café (seen here) that's cantilevered over the main entrance. Set to open January 31, 2016, the museum's most striking feature is a stainless steel-clad volume that contains the larger of its two theaters. Photo 1 of 9 in A Floating Theater Hides Within this Art Deco-Inspired Modern Museum by Zach Edelson

A Floating Theater Hides Within this Art Deco-Inspired Modern Museum

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DS+R partner Charles Renfro says the University wanted the musuem—which is situated at the crossroads of an arts district, the city of Berkeley, Berkeley’s campus, and a commercial district—to play a prominent role in community life. "Museums have changed in past 50 years,” says Renfro, “in such a way that they're much more civic institutions.”

The 83,000 square-foot building will include 25,000 square feet of gallery space, two theaters, four study centers, a reading room, an art-making lab, numerous gathering areas, and a café (seen here) that's cantilevered over the main entrance. Set to open January 31, 2016, the museum's most striking feature is a stainless steel-clad volume that contains the larger of its two theaters.