Snøhetta's SFMOMA Expansion Opens Amid Controversy

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has reopened after a major expansion by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, making it the largest contemporary art museum in the United States. The project, which adds a ten-story white corrugated facade to the existing postmodern building by Mario Botta, has sparked intense debate. Snøhetta's design, inspired by San Francisco's fog and seismic waves, aims to create a dialogue with the city and the original structure. However, the new entrance hall, where a central staircase was demolished and replaced with a modern angled one, has been criticized for disorienting visitors and undermining the original space's coherence. The expansion includes terraces, a restaurant, and a garden wall, with highlights like Richard Serra and Alexander Calder works. The museum now displays masterpieces by Francis Bacon, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, and Jeff Koons. The project's urban context is the Transbay Transit Center district, featuring towers by Foster + Partners, OMA, and Pelli Clarke Pelli. Snøhetta's Craig Dykers described the addition as a 'wardrobe' to the existing building, though some members have called it a 'warehouse.' The museum's opening has generated passionate architectural discourse, drawing visitors to San Francisco to judge for themselves.