- The expansion involves a 50,000 sf addition to the existing facility and a 14,000 sf Italian Renaissance building built in 1899 as a post office
- The new building is located immediately south of the existing building, with the front entrance facing South High Street
- Galleries are located one level above the entrance and extend all the way from South High Street to South Broadway
- The building is broken up into three primary components: the Crystal, the Gallery-Box, and the Roof Cloud
- The Crystal signifies the main entry and operates as a space for orientation
- The Crystal encompasses an auditorium, classrooms, library, café, and bookstore
- The Gallery Box is an independent space that is highly controllable and changeable as it is one unified space with a long span structure that can be built out freely based on the needs of each exhibit
- The Roof Cloud hovers above the building, creating a blurred envelope for the museum, and also operates as a horizontal landmark in the city
- Awards:
ACEC California, CELSOC – Merit Award, Structural Systems 2008
NCSEA Outstanding Project Awards – Finalist, Excellence Award, Structural Engineering 2008
CIB Roger H. Corbetta Awards – Award of Merit 2006
The Chicago Athenaeum – American Architecture Award 2005