Founded in 1895 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and a cherished destination for millions of residents and visitors to the region for over 100 years. On 15 October 2005, the de Young museum re-opened in a new facility designed by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and Fong & Chan Architects in San Francisco. The new de Young provides San Francisco with a landmark art museum to showcase the museum’s significant collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, modern and contemporary art, art from Central and South America, the Pacific and Africa, as well as an important and diverse collection of textiles.
The new unconventional building draped in dramatic copper skin will house new commissioned works as well as its significant collections of 17th to 20th century American paintings, including art from around the globe. The first rotating special exhibition will be Egyptian Art from Queen Hatshepsut’s reign (1473-1458 BC), showing the significance of a woman ruling in a patriarchal society.
Within the landscape design, historical elements from the original building of 1895 have been incorporated, such as the sphinx sculptures, the Pool of Enchantment and the original palm trees. With the collections in its sister museum, the Legion of Honor, San Francisco has one of the largest art museums in the US.
The colection of museum:
American Painting
American Sculpture & Decorative Art
African Art
Oceanic Art
The Jolika Collection of New Guinea Art
Textiles
Art of the Americas
The Dorothy and George Saxe Collection of Contemporary Craft
The views from the top of the deYoung Museum tower are incredible. You can see downtown skyscrapers; the Marin headlands, and sometimes the Pacific Ocean. You can see down to the museum’s architecture and copper roofing. The controversial architecture is exciting the architecture community and all of San Francisco. This Herzog & de Meuron designed museum is a touchstone for any fan of 21st century design. The museum’s president was attracted to the design team after seeing a uniquely designed signal box and depot at a train station.
Design cues for the museum were taken from the surrounding Golden Gate Park. The intention was was to have the building be light, strange, and blend with the park’s setting. The copper skin of the building will age and patina into a green tone over the next 15 years. The twisting tower is the building’s unique trademark to align it with the pattern of San Francisco’s streets.
The art galleries flow together and match with the art collections styles. The size, style, and lighting of galleries differs based on the art itself. The light variance is most pronounced in areas that allow views out of the museum to the park’s beautiful surrounding gardens. The museum’s primary intention is to connect the museum viewer with the outside world. The de Young Art museum allows people, art, San Francisco, and nature to be joined as one.

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