Eames Design Museum Plans Revealed at ’60s-Era Warehouse in SF Bay Area

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Summary

  • The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity announced plans for a new Eames Design Museum in Novato, California, a collaboration with Herzog & De Meuron and EHDD that will preserve and repurpose a historic 1960s-era warehouse to house the Eames Collection archives and host cultural programming.

The Eames Institute of Everlasting Wonder has revealed initial designs for a fresh Eames Design Museum, which is to be constructed in Novato, California – a region within the San Francisco Bay Area. This project is a joint effort between Swiss architectural firm Herzog & De Meuron and local company EHDD. The museum aims to retain key features of a 1960s-built warehouse that was previously leased by McGraw-Hill, and more recently, Birkenstock.

This exceptional museum aspires to provide the city with a fresh cultural landmark, featuring displays of art and design, workshops, educational events, and, needless to say, rotating presentations from the Eames Collection’s extensive archive.

Llisa Demetrios, a direct descendant of the Eames family and Head Curator at the Eames Institute, stated, “It’s a lifetime privilege for me to pass on my grandparents’ vision to the world.” She also mentioned that, “The unquenchable thirst for problem-solving through design, which has always been the cornerstone of the Eames Institute, will be amplified with this expansion. This will enable us to spread their unique talents within our community more broadly.

In the 60s, a well-known modernist architect based in the San Francisco Bay Area, John Savahe Bolles, designed a building that was later occupied by McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. From 1994 to 2019, Birkenstock, a popular footwear brand, utilized this site.

For several decades, this structure has become a recognized symbol, capturing the attention of design aficionados and locals alike due to its unique identity. Its striking rooftop design is emblematic of mid-century design’s daring ideology and its pioneering innovators. At present, the specifics are still under discussion, but the institute has guaranteed that the building’s defining features, including its iconic roof, will be maintained.

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2025-08-04 20:25