New home for Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity. New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF
15/06/2023.
[San Francisco] USA EEUU
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
Architecture practice LMN Architects and TEF Design have been commissioned to design the Diego Rivera Theater at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), on Frida Kahlo Avenue, in the Californian city.
The project will showcase the iconic "Pan American Unity" mural created by Diego Rivera created in 1940. The fresco, which measures 22.5 meters wide by 6.7 meters, was painted by Rivera on ten cement panels with a steel structure. It is set to become a new hub for community and culture in San Francisco.
The project will showcase the iconic "Pan American Unity" mural created by Diego Rivera created in 1940. The fresco, which measures 22.5 meters wide by 6.7 meters, was painted by Rivera on ten cement panels with a steel structure. It is set to become a new hub for community and culture in San Francisco.
Diego Rivera portrait in black and white. Courtesy San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
Diego Rivera, The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on this Continent (Pan American Unity), 1940. © Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera & Frieda Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico D.F. / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image: courtesy City College of San Francisco. Courtesy SFMOMA and CCSF.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
The Diego Rivera Theater is set to become the cultural heart of the CCSF campus. Placed in a new academic precinct along Frida Kahlo Avenue, the Theater will be the home of Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural while providing a central base for the music and drama academic departments. The building will also include three new performing arts venues along with instructional and administrative spaces, making it an important building on campus and within the larger San Francisco cultural community.
“It is an honor to work on the Diego Rivera Theater to exhibit a work of art with so much history and cultural value for the city of San Francisco and the global art community. The new building will provide multiple performance spaces for education and social interaction, and ultimately provide a cultural asset for the campus and the public. We are proud to contribute to this effort to safeguard and display the mural at a prominent location on campus in collaboration with CCSF, TEF Design, and our team of collaborators.”
Sam Miller, Partner, LMN Architects.
Diego Rivera, The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on this Continent (Pan American Unity), 1940. © Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera & Frieda Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico D.F. / Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image: courtesy City College of San Francisco. Courtesy SFMOMA and CCSF.
Diego Rivera's Pan American Unity mural holds immense cultural significance as a vivid representation of the artist's vision for unity across the Americas. Featuring a vibrant tapestry of figures that weave together historical, cultural, and industrial scenes from various regions, the artwork emphasizes the interconnectedness and solidarity between these diverse nations in the Americas. In the years after its creation, the mural faced a series of challenges and at one point, it was considered lost. The mural's journey reflects its enduring power to inspire and bring people together, overcoming various obstacles and ultimately becoming a cherished centerpiece of public art.
New Diego Rivera Theater by LMN and TEF. Courtesy LMN Architects.
Diego Rivera’s inspiring Pan American Unity Mural is the centerpiece of the building, where it will finally reside after its tumultuous 70-year history. Originally painted on Treasure Island for the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1940, the mural has not been widely viewed by the public until being recently displayed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Theater’s mural lobby, which will house the artwork, has been designed to display the art to both the building’s users as well as pedestrians outside. The lobby is wrapped in a glass wall, showcasing the mural, and allowing passers-by to be drawn in by the presence of this historical work of art. The Diego Rivera Theater is an open and welcoming building that integrates into the existing circulation patterns of the campus and facilitates a pathway between the adjacent STEAM and MUB Buildings.
The building’s program includes three concrete blocks of varying sizes, each containing a separate performance venue. The venues include a 600-seat performance hall, 150-seat studio theater, and 100-seat recital hall—all optimized for different performance experiences. The building will also contain plentiful instructional spaces, practice rooms, and administrative offices.
Diego Rivera shaking hands with Timothy Pflueger, 1940. Courtesy San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
“Diego Rivera’s deep connections to San Francisco and the United States cannot be overstated, and we are very excited about this opportunity to design the new Diego Rivera Theater. The project reflects the highly interdisciplinary character of performance venues in the 21st century and is defined by the open lobby and composition of program blocks that are organized around the mural. Designed from the inside out, the project takes advantage of the building program, the views, and the circulation patterns around campus. The lobby will showcase the artwork and will allow students and visitors to admire the mural from multiple angles.”
John Chau, Partner, LMN Architects.
“For many years, the mural has been a hidden treasure, tucked away from the public in a neglected campus theater. Not only will the new theater complete the western expansion of the CCSF campus across Frida Kahlo Way, but its open glass lobby will also enable students, locals, and visitors alike to connect with and appreciate the world-class treasure in a museum-like setting of the same caliber.”
Douglas Tom, Partner, TEF Design.
Designed to be a centerpiece on the CCSF campus, the Diego Rivera Theater will support its educational mission while also being a destination for visitors to San Francisco and an anchor of the local arts community.
More information
Architects
Project team
LMN.- John Chau (AIA), Vernita Lytle, Sam Miller (AIA), Sonja Miranda, Erik Perka (Assoc. AIA), Jennifer Sasahara (AIA), Zihao Wang.
TEF Design.- Justin Blinn (AIA), Paul Cooper (AIA), Mrunalini Kulkarni.
TEF Design.- Justin Blinn (AIA), Paul Cooper (AIA), Mrunalini Kulkarni.
Collaborators
Structural Engineer.- SOHA Engineers.
MEP Engineer.- Interface Engineering.
Lighting Design.- HLB Lighting.
Theatrical Consultant.- The Shalleck Collaborative, Inc.
Cost Estimating.- Directional Logic.
MEP Engineer.- Interface Engineering.
Lighting Design.- HLB Lighting.
Theatrical Consultant.- The Shalleck Collaborative, Inc.
Cost Estimating.- Directional Logic.
Client
City College of San Francisco.
Area
Site Area.- 8,640 m².
Total Floor Area.- 7,153.5 m².
Total Floor Area.- 7,153.5 m².
Dates
Design Years.- 2022-2023.
Construction Years.- 2025-2027.
Construction Years.- 2025-2027.
Location
San Francisco, California. USA
Renderings
LMN
LMN Architects specializes in the planning and design of significant public and private projects, including transit stations, cultural venues, convention centers, education facilities, office buildings, mixed-use developments, and other urban environments that celebrate and enrich communities. The firm is the recipient of the 2016 American Institute of Architects National Architecture Firm Award.
SELECTED DESIGN AWARDS
2018 AIA National Honor Award for Interior Architecture
2017 Chicago Athenaeum/Europe International Architecture Award
2017 American Architecture Awards Airports and Transportation Centers
2017 Architizer Popular Choice Winner, Architecture + Glass
2016 Fast Company Innovation by Design Honorable Mention for Spaces, Places, Cities
2016 AIA Washington Council Civic Design Awards Honorable Mention
2016 AIA Seattle Chapter Award of Merit
2016 City of Seattle Design Commission Design Excellence Award
John Chau, AIA,
John is one of our most gifted designers and conceptualists. His ability to integrate the unique characteristics of each project with local culture and tradition has resulted in responsive, innovative solutions. His collaborative working style and mentoring skills have been fundamental in the success of many of the firm’s most important projects.
Sam Miller, FAIA, LEED AP,
Sam’s work includes civic, education, and performing arts projects in addition to leading LMN’s advances in sustainable design and design technology. His construction and engineering background supports a thorough understanding of building systems and technology.
Walt Niehoff, AIA,
Walt has been with LMN since 1989 and leads the firm’s private sector work. His expertise includes the design and project management of mixed-use, commercial, retail, corporate office, and high-rise office projects. He is a leader in developing progressive designs that integrate mixed-use projects into urban neighborhoods, and highly regarded for his ability to work with stakeholders to create projects embraced by their communities.
Wendy Pautz, FAIA,
Wendy is known for integrating conceptual design with a sophisticated knowledge of technical resolution. She synthesizes pragmatic project requirements with far-reaching social, economic and environmental considerations resulting in innovative solutions that enhance the life of their communities.
Mark Reddington, FAIA,
Mark has been instrumental in establishing LMN as a leader in the design of public places with over 120 awards including national and international awards for architecture, urban design and sustainability. He leads projects in all market sectors including convention centers, performing arts, education and transportation and brings a strong focus on enhancing the public realm through design excellence.
George Shaw, FAIA, LEED AP,
George provides project leadership on major public projects including convention centers, performing arts venues and higher education facilities. His ability to discern and resolve fundamental planning and design issues, combined with his management and cost control skills, ensure a creative and highly effective design and project delivery process.
Stephen Van Dyck, AIA, LEED AP,
Stephen has earned a reputation for innovation, design technology and collaborative leadership and is widely recognized as an industry authority in the adoption of emerging technologies. His project experience encompasses a wide range of public assembly, performing arts, higher education and mixed-use projects.
Rafael Viñoly-Menendez, AIA,
Rafael has been involved in a wide range of national and international projects, including performing arts venues, sports and events facilities, with a special emphasis on the planning and design of convention and conference centers. His involvement with a wide variety of project types has consistently produced creative design solutions that capitalize on the opportunities implicit in the client’s program, site, and budget.
Douglas Tom. TEF Design
TEF Design is an architecture and interior design firm located in San Francisco and founded by Douglas Tom in 1997.
Their staff of over 30 is distinguished by the convergence of “large firm” experience delivered through the culture and care of a small practice. They combine these skills with a deep commitment to craftsmanship, value, and responsibility to create memorable places where people come together to share ideas and build community.
Douglas Tom's first job out of architecture school was a year-long stint as a VISTA volunteer in the underserved Pico Union neighbourhood of central Los Angeles. Working with other volunteers on projects that made a real difference in people’s lives had a strong impact on him, igniting a passion for socially-relevant work, particularly in educating young people.
A true collaborator, his deep connection to serving the community has shaped TEF’s culture and portfolio and informs our work with educational, non-profit, and community clients including the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, Crissy Field Environmental Education Center, and the Presidio Institute.
He has led several non-profit educational organizations to bring innovative learning opportunities to disadvantaged young people through nationally-acclaimed programs, including the establishment of the award-winning Build SF program of the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco, which connects public high school students with real world experience through mentors in the design and construction industry. He was a founding board member of Envision Schools and a board member of the San Francisco Education Fund.
With more than four decades of experience, his steadfast belief in architecture’s role as a mechanism for social agency continues to drive his practice whether breathing new life into an historic public library or crafting a first-of-its-kind clinic in the Bayview serving children and families experiencing trauma.
Their staff of over 30 is distinguished by the convergence of “large firm” experience delivered through the culture and care of a small practice. They combine these skills with a deep commitment to craftsmanship, value, and responsibility to create memorable places where people come together to share ideas and build community.
Douglas Tom's first job out of architecture school was a year-long stint as a VISTA volunteer in the underserved Pico Union neighbourhood of central Los Angeles. Working with other volunteers on projects that made a real difference in people’s lives had a strong impact on him, igniting a passion for socially-relevant work, particularly in educating young people.
A true collaborator, his deep connection to serving the community has shaped TEF’s culture and portfolio and informs our work with educational, non-profit, and community clients including the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, Crissy Field Environmental Education Center, and the Presidio Institute.
He has led several non-profit educational organizations to bring innovative learning opportunities to disadvantaged young people through nationally-acclaimed programs, including the establishment of the award-winning Build SF program of the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco, which connects public high school students with real world experience through mentors in the design and construction industry. He was a founding board member of Envision Schools and a board member of the San Francisco Education Fund.
With more than four decades of experience, his steadfast belief in architecture’s role as a mechanism for social agency continues to drive his practice whether breathing new life into an historic public library or crafting a first-of-its-kind clinic in the Bayview serving children and families experiencing trauma.
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