The Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive recently revealed details to their inaugural exhibition and other fun-sounding programs as they prepare to move into their new downtown Berkeley location at Oxford and Center Streets, across the University of California, Berkeley campus. The new museum -- which Diller Scofidio + Renfro was commissioned to design -- is scheduled to open in early 2016.

With DS + R as design architect, the $112 million project will integrate the former UC Berkeley printing plant and a new steel-clad curvilinear structure, encompassing about 82,000 sq.ft total. The new structure will include improved accessible spaces to house BAM/PFA's exhibition spaces, film screenings, offices, and other public amenities. On the other hand, the project preserves some original elements of the UC Berkeley printing plant such as the north-facing sawtooth roof to let natural light filter into the ground-floor galleries.

The new structure will also feature two film theaters (232 seats and 33 seats, respectively), a performance forum, a vibrant red cafe, four art + film study centers, a reading room, an art-making lab and creative gathering areas.

The BAM/PFA plans to screen some 400 films and up to 20 art exhibitions annually, in addition to hosting various public programs and performances. The first major exhibition, "Architecture of Life", will delve into the multi-faceted roles that architecture -- as a concept, metaphor, and practice -- influences everyday life experiences.

An international showcase of over 150 works of art, architectural drawings, models, and scientific illustrations from the last 1,000 years from figures like Buckminster Fuller, Ruth Asawa, Ernst Haeckel, Lebbeus Woods, Rosie Lee Tompkins will occupy the entire building. More details about "Architecture of Life" can be found here.

Project credits

Design architect: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Executive architect: EHDD
General contractor: Plant Construction Company
Project management: UC Berkeley Construction & Design