SO-IL wins competition to build shrem museum of art at UC davis

‘jan shrem and maria manetti shrem museum of art’ by SO-IL, university of california, davis campusimage © SO-ILall images courtesy of the regents of the university of california, davis campus

brooklyn-based SO-IL has won the competition to build the new ‘jan shrem and maria manetti shrem museum of art’ on the davis campus of university of california. the project makes use of the the central valley landscape and climate to create a place that invites the outdoors into an often rigid museum program. understanding the experience of art as fluid and ever-changing, the design posits a flexible infrastructure that speaks to a general sense of optimism and the empowerment of innovation. the permeability of the built form was of the highest priority, an idea that manifests tectonically; the building uses a porous steel ‘grand canopy’ to organize the space and additionally dematerialize the edges of the structure.

the 50,000 square foot characterizing gesture aims to create a sensory landscape, enriched by the multiplicity of users and the potential for the open-roofed space to become a field of experimentation. additionally, this dynamic skin acts as both an attractive illuminated beacon while serving to weave the building into the surrounding patchwork of agrarian textures and hues that so characterize the site. the result is a series of human-scaled volumes that democratize the space to experience art and take part in creative thought on campus. seeking to be a veritable institution of intellectual and artistic exchange as well as publicly accessible learning center, the museum is named after jan shrem, proprietor of clos pegase winery, and maria manetti shrem, a prominent arts patron. of  the winning entry, chancellor linda p.b. katehi stated:

‘the design for the new museum at UC Davis turns the traditional model of museum design inside out. from its curved glass walls to its soaring canopy, it will draw people in, surprise them, and engage them. all who enter this museum will become students again.’

the museum is expected to break ground next year. 

the architect gives an in depth explanation of site-responsive and program-sensitive proposalvideo © 2013 regents of the university of california

view of the building from the nearby mondavi stepsimage © SO-IL

a sweeping canopy opens to old davis road while blurring the edges of the built formimage © SO-IL

lobby view shows a light and airy social space that can accomodate myriad programsimage © SO-IL

afternoon view of the steel canopy expresses a space that collapses the division of interior and exteriorimage © SO-IL

the museum seeks to become a beacon of creative activity for the regionimage © SO-IL