New De Young Museum in San Francisco

[Karl-G]

Can anyone in SF or visiting give us an update on the new De Young? I am very eager to see it and its wonderful collection again, but I am also worried. Official opening is supposed to be Oct. 15.

 

The architects, Herzog and de Meuron, did the just-completed Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, it is a disaster inside and out. The exterior is a dull gray which echoes the dull grey sky for most of the year. The entrance is on Hennepin Avenue (?!?) where traffic can never stop, so no one will ever get out of a car here. Nothing but concrete and glass facing out. A large building was constructed, but only three new additional galleries, in the basement, were added for art. The restaurant is a total loss with a noise level so high, it is impossible to even shout yes-or-no questions to someone else. Book store is greatly reduced in size, and it once was the best art book store in town. But big cocktail lounge, huge corridors (like the one pictured on the web for the De Young), and no way to get from one part of the building to another if you have problems with climbing large staircases. May SF have better luck!

[BewareofNick]

What happened to De Old Museum?

[VaHawk]

Look in your undies?

[BewareofNick]

>Look in your undies?

 

Things slow at the trailer park tonight, Hawk?

[+ honcho]

My impression is that it was going to cost FAR more to make the old museum seismically safe than to build a new one. They're expecting another big (>8.0) earthquake here sometime in the next 20 years...

[+ Axiom2001]

It's unfortunate that the originator of this thread has yet to get his initial query answered!

 

My suggestion is to do a google search. Perhaps you'll get/read a legitimate update as to the whereabouts of the new museum.

[+ honcho]

There was no question about the location of the museum; what was asked was whether it was still on track for its purported October 15th reopening....You have *shamed* me into doing a web search and making a couple of (to me) local calls.

 

The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco web site (http://www.thinker.org) says that the opening is *still* slated for October 15th. In fact, the public information phone number (415 863 3330) says that the museum gift shop and cafe will be open to the public (although the galleries will not be), from August 17th to Sept 30th for "Sneak a peak".

 

Various websites have said that the music concourse is supposed to also reopen in October; I know from personal experience that the Golden Gate Park Band (which gives concerts on sunday afternoon) is still exiled across the street in the aboretum and the concourse still looks pretty torn up, but the sidewalks around the De Young are passable.

[Karl-G]

Thank you. I had looked at the website, but they are not always up-to-date or accurate, and I wanted if possible to find out what someone locally might know.