Turning the traditional model of museum design inside out, the new museum at UC Davis will feature a 50,000 square foot steel canopy that floats atop a series of interconnected interior and exterior spaces.
Designed for one-on-one interactions with art, artists and faculty, the museum’s 29,000 square feet interior will house the university’s fine art collection and provide space for exhibitions, faculty lectures, artists’ residencies, and hands-on studio art classes.
At the same time, it will serve both as a home for art experiences that extend throughout the campus and, virtually, to visitors and distance learners beyond.
The new museum, which is expected to break ground in 2014, will be supported by a team of architects and builders including architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and contractor Whiting-Turner.
