Oakland, California
Mark Cavagnero Associates with Hood Design Studio and Robert LaRocca & Associates have renovated the Oakland Museum of California for the city of Oakland in California, making it a more open and connected place for the entire community to access different art collections.
For its inspired, community-oriented design, the renovation of the Oakland Museum of California has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The original Oakland Museum of California opened in 1969 with a backdrop of historic civil rights events.
The brutalist landmark building, designed by Kevin Roche was entirely enclosed by concrete walls surrounding the 4-block site.
The program for the renovation was to “break the box” establishing new connections between the museum and the surrounding neighborhood in order to promote more equitable access to one of Oakland’s premier public spaces and outdoor art collections.
Mark Cavagnero Associates worked collaboratively with Hood Design Studio of Oakland creating a new entry to the re-envisioned garden at the northeast corner of the property finally connecting the museum to Lake Merritt directly across the street.
In a bold move of urban design, the concrete walls that separated OMCA from Lake Merritt were opened thereby connecting the gardens to the public walkway.
The newly created entry facing Lake Merritt contributes to the already-vibrant activity around the lake.
The ability to keep the garden and café open beyond the limited gallery hours benefits the surrounding neighborhood.
The creation of the new garden entry allows OMCA to open its gardens on more days and hours per week, making the gardens accessible for more people to enjoy.
The gardens feature five eco-regions of California: coastal prairie, Mediterranean, desert, woodland, and coastal forest.
The garden renovation introduces a new living collection of native plant species to the museum’s exhibits, extending opportunities for interpretive content as visitors move freely from the interior gallery spaces to the terraced gardens.
The plantings integrate topics such as indigenous and cultural use of plantings, climate change, plant migration, biodiversity, and habitat loss.
The garden and 10th Street improvements support OMCA’s free and popular Friday night events, which have catalyzed the museum’s role as a hub of community engagement and activity.
The new garden stage and improvements to the 10th Street Amphitheater facilitate these and other community events such as the Lunar New Year and El Dia de los Muertos celebrations that OMCA holds each year.
Every aspect of the renovation supports OMCA’s mission of inclusion and diversity.
Local BIPOC-owned businesses were engaged during the construction and Oakland chef Tanya Holland operates the renovated café.
Giving back to Oakland and telling the stories of underrepresented communities is at the core of OMCA’s mission and underpinned the design.
Instead of putting up walls, OMCA is opening them up to embrace its audience, which is one of the most diverse in the country.
The project grew directly out of OMCA’s commitment to becoming a more anti-racist and equitable multicultural organization and furthering its original mission as “the museum of the People.”
With the goal of promoting inclusion, the renovation focused on improving the museum grounds and amenities so that all visitors feel welcome and at ease.
The renovation also enhanced the museum’s ability to safely resume its popular outdoor community events and support its role as Oakland’s living room after the pandemic.
Project: Oakland Museum of California
Architects: Mark Cavagnero Associates
Design Team: Mark Cavagnero, John Fung, Felicia Dunham, Anna de Anguera, Tammy LePham, Yun Young Na, Catherine Tumanguil, and Ian Young
Landscape Architects: Hood Design Studio and Robert LaRocca & Associates
General contractor: Cahill Contractors LLC.
Project Management: ProPM, Inc.
Client: City of Oakland
Photographers: Tim Griffith
