Revamped San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopens
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- After years of construction, San Francisco finally unveiled its newest glittering attraction Saturday, the newly expanded San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The new MoMA may set the standard for how museums are built.
PHOTOS: Behind-the-scenes look at the new SFMOMA
A shower of red bio-degradable confetti rained down on Howard Street, it signaled the grand re-opening of the San Francisco MoMA.
"This is a real San Francisco global institution," said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.
After three years of renovation and $305 million of private donations the wraps finally came off the new museum and people got their first look.
MoMA deputy director Ruth Berson says there's a lot more room from the original museum built 21 years ago.
"We're bigger but much better," Berson said. "We've tripled the amount of square footage dedicated to art in the building."
The new collection is impressive. Several floors house the private art collection of Gap founders, Don and Doris Fisher.
The lobby had to be big enough for this giant metal maze sculpture by local artist Richard Serra.
"It reminds me of Mt. Zion, just the feel of it," said Laura Vincent.
The architect designed the MoMA to reflect the Bay Area, a wall of living green plants, to resemble a canopy of redwoods, a rippling exterior white wall reminiscent of the fog rolling in.
"So when you walk through, you'll see things that might remind you of the city you live in, or visiting," said Craig Dykers, an architect.
Kids under 18 can visit the new MoMA for free. The New York Times calls it the new standard for museums and they may be right.
The MoMA closed in 2013 for the expansion. The project has tripled the amount of gallery space. The museum now features 33,000 works of art.
The new SF MoMA also includes 45,000 feet of art-filled public space all free to see, no ticket required.
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