Metropolis reports on WHY’s transformation of the Asian Art Museum

“The glass and terra-cotta addition will contain a new gallery and outdoor sculpture gallery/terrace; the project will also include a new education center and other technological upgrades throughout the museum. The expansion will grow the Museum’s current building, a 1917 Beaux Arts structure (originally San Francisco’s Main Library) adapted by Italian architect Gae Aulenti in 2003.

The Museum, which is owned by the City of San Francisco, is home to more than 18,000 artifacts. With this expansion, the institution is seeking to expand the size and scope of its exhibitions. ‘The goal of the transformation is to tell the vital story of Asian art, from prehistory to the present, as an evolving, globally relevant tradition,’ says Jay Xu, director and CEO of the Museum in a press release. ‘Museum visitors will discover fresh connections between Asian art and the world around them, engaging with the topics and issues that inspire artists working today.’ “