The new de Young Museum

John and I went to the members preview of the new de Young museum in the Golden Gate Park. I am very proud to support this new cultural addition to San Francisco. The building is an amazing new piece of architecture. It was designed by the Swiss firm of Herzog & de Meuron. The structure is a very bold architectural statement for SF. SF is usually very conservative when it comes to architecture. I for one think that every age should be able to leave its architectural impact on a city. Too many people get caught up in the nostalgia of the past and protect buildings that were never good architecture from their inception. The former de Young building was not architecturally significant. It was a poor example of Spanish Colonial architecture. The new design of the building takes the de Young in a very striking modern direction with subtle elements that speak to the careful design of Herzog and de Meuron. The building is sheathed in a copper skin that is embossed with varying patterns that echo the tree canopy of the park. As time goes on, the skin will patina to a muted green thus blending with the surrounding park.

The building has sharp angles that cut into the core of the building thus bringing natural light and greener into the gallery space.

The interior gallery space is relatively unadorned providing a neutral background for the art displayed there. Most rooms are whitewashed with no molding. The ground level has mainly a stone floor. The second level has beautiful wood floors and ceilings providing a very cosy space for the art displayed there which is most of the historic collection.

The de Young tower is a wonderful new vantage point in the park affording new aerial views of the city. The observation deck is a continious glass curtain wall with no structural supports obsuring the view of the city. The ceiling of that floor was designed to cantelever from the elevator shaft as that is the only structural support present. The tower will be open to the public free of charge. The hope is that this will become one of the major sights in the park along with the museum below.



The museum has a great dining cafe on the ground floor in the southeast corner of the building. It has prepared foods and grab and go.

There is seating indoors and outside on the patio under a very large canopy of steal and copper mesh. Beyond the patio is a wonderful sculpture garden with green grass that invites people to stroll and picnic amongst the art.

Anyone visiting SF should add this wonderful new attraction to their itinerary.