Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects finished their project a Art Institute SFAI at Fort Mason waterfront warehouse located in San Francisco, California. Discover transformation of Fort Mason from a historic army base into a thriving nonprofit arts and community center, the firm led the adaptive reuse of Pier 2 from waterfront warehouse to a new campus for SFAI, a hub for both undergraduate and graduate studios and public engagement with the arts.
The space offers 160 individual studios, public exhibition galleries, flexible teaching spaces, a black box theater, and a workshop/maker space for creating a dynamic contemporary learning environment that respected the integrity of the industrial landmark. Articulating with new from old a new two-story structure was lightly inserted within the historic light-filled volume. The roof-mounted photovoltaic array provides more than 100% of the electrical energy demand which is the largest in the National Park System.
San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is “dedicated to the intrinsic value of art and its vital role in shaping and enriching society and the individual.” It prepares students for a life in the arts through an immersive studio environment, an integrated interdisciplinary curriculum, and critical engagement with the world. To meet their mission, SFAI set out to expand their facilities and curriculum for their graduate program, build a cohesive urban campus near the historic main campus, and find a new creative space in one of the most challenging real estate markets in the world.
A collaborative community planning process engaging SFAI students, faculty, and administration, FMCAC, the National Park Service and the State Historic Preservation Office, successfully addressed diverse perspectives within a limited budget. The first phase of the project included the complete rehabilitation the historic pier shed, with structural and building systems upgrades, building envelope restoration and integration of sustainable systems including a large photovoltaic solar system. Phase 2 of the project focused on the interior transformation of the warehouse into the new SFAI art facilities and public galleries. The design team actively supported a complex funding program, which included the National Park Service Save America Treasures Program, Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program and a grant from the Department of Energy.
Project team
Architect: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
Interior Designer: Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects
Mechanical Engineer: Integral Group Engineers
Structural Engineer: Rutherford & Chekene Structural Engineers
Electrical Engineer: Integral Group Engineers
Plumbing Engineer: Integral Group Engineers
Civil Engineer: Moffatt & Nichol
Geotechnical Engineer: None
Construction Manager: Mack5
General Contractor: Oliver and Company
Landscape Architect: None
Lighting Designer: Architectural Lighting Design
Any other consultants, with their roles:
Fire Protection: Integral Group Engineers
Acoustic Consultant: Charles M. Salter Associates
Theater Design: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
Client /Tenant: San Francisco Art Institute
Master Tenant: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture
Property Owner: Golden Gate National Parks, as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Photography: Bruce Damonte
