manetti shrem museum of art by SO-IL + BCJ ready to open

the manetti shrem museum is a contemporary art museum for the university of california, davis, designed by SO-IL and bohlin cywinski jackson (BCJ). both architecturally and programmatically, the institution seeks to define itself as a constantly evolving public event — encouraging personal encounters, and providing both formal and informal learning opportunities. the project, which broke ground in 2014, is now nearly ready to open its doors to the public.

the permeable roof covers both the site and the building
image © iwan baan

SO-IL and bohlin cywinski jackson have designed a 50,000 square-foot permeable roof that covers both the site and the building. intended as a new symbol for the university campus, the canopy is composed of 910 triangular, honed aluminum infill beams. assembled in an intricate pattern, the structure seeks to evoke the patchwork texture and topology of the surrounding landscape.

an open-air courtyard connects the museum’s three main volumes
image © iwan baan

the canopy arcs as high as 34 feet on the freeway side, and dips as low as 12 feet at its front, which is across the street from the robert and margrit mondavi center for the performing arts — a primary entrance to the campus. the permeable roof tops a 30,000-square-foot interior, where a glass lobby creates a continuous ground level. here, an open-air courtyard connects the museum’s three main volumes: ‘the gallery pavilion’ — which contains five galleries, a collections classroom, two lounges, and back-of-house spaces; ‘the education pavilion’, containing spaces for classes, performances, and workshops; and ‘the operations pavilion’, which accommodates a volunteer lounge, staff spaces, catering, security, recycling, and public services.

the courtyard can double as an outdoor screening space
image © iwan baan

the lobby and courtyard can open to the community education room, making one large interior for various gatherings. the events plaza is a site for congregation, program, and performance. here, an outdoor projection area is the focal point, setting the stage for after-hours events. the museum seeks to incorporate sustainable design practices with recycled materials, water-saving features, and advanced lighting controls.

the manetti shrem museum, which officially opens on november 13, 2016, was built at a total cost of $30 million USD. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

project info:

client: university of california, davis
location: davis, california, USA
area: 2,700 sqm / 29,000 sqf
competition team: florian idenburg, ilias papageorgiou, jing liu, danny duong, seunghyun kang, nile greenberg, pietro pagliaro, andre herrero, madelyn ringo, jacopo lugli
realization team: florian idenburg, ilias papageorgiou, jing liu, danny duong, kevin lamyuktseung, (SO-IL); karl backus, FAIA (principal), ryan keerns, RA, NCARB, karolina kaczmarczyk (project manager), ashley morgan, maria danielides AIA, travis shockley, victor tzen, (bohlin cywinski jackson)
contractor: whiting-turner
structural engineer: rutherford & chekene
mechanical engineer: WSP
sustainability: WSP
lighting: fisher marantz stone
canopy engineer: front inc.
photography: iwan baan