Architect Glenn Lym’s video examining Golden Gate Park’s new museum buildings does an excellent job crystalizing my feelings.
The new De Young may be a nice piece of modern “stark-itecture”—provocative and daring and artistic—but it exudes hubris and disdain for the public park it stands in: “I was paid for by wealthy stylish people and I’m going to impose myself on every view of western San Francisco. Good luck finding my front door!”
The Academy, on the other hand, feels like part of the park without shying away from being interesting and inviting.
Take a look at Glenn’s video and see what you think. It can get a bit technical in parts with architectural language, but the graphics make things very clear.
Tags: Academy of Sciences, deYoung