Tour of the SF Asian Art Museum, building nears completion
From Friday, October 04, 2002
Yesterday, I got to tour the underconstruction San Francisco Asian Art Museum. The private tour (which have been limited since the museum is trying to complete construction and get its occupancy permit from the city later this month, I think) was arranged by Holden Lee of the Trust for Public Land, who worked on the museum's Strategic Plan.
I didn't live in San Francisco when this building housed the San Francisco Public Library (now housed in a new, somewhat uninspiring building across the street) so I never saw the before. But the after is wonderful. What a great space. You walk up a grand staircase to arrive at the grandest space of the building with a spectacular ceiling. Gaye Aulenti of Paris' Musee d'Orsay fame has put in signature v-shape skylights (which is also reflected in the form of the low gallery ceilings) between the wings closing out what used to be open space.
The museum has raised $153M to get the building retrofitted (which includes a 16 foot deep air pocket or moat around the building, that ensures that during an earthquake the building won't bump against anything concrete). And the collection will cover all of Asia not just East Asia. I'm looking forward to the opening!
One of the trustees who went on the tour with us had this to say when I commented that it must be really useful to have a building to raise money around. She told us about an LA-based major donor's comment that he was giving because of the programs...that there are lots of beautiful museum buldings in LA but it is the programs that are important to him. That's very cool!