In May, the SF MOMA will reopen as the largest museum of its kind in the United States

After three years of renovations, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is set to reopen on May 14, 2016.

The expanded and redesigned museum will be three times it original size – an architectural masterpiece in the colorful SOMA neighborhood. Museum officials expect the SFMOMA’s annual attendance to double once it reopens, which would put the museum on par with San Francisco’s ever-popular de Young Museum.

Reopening a “Game-Changer” for San Francisco

According to SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra, the highly anticipated reopening is a “game-changer” for San Francisco’s art scene. The newly designed 460,000-square-foot museum will house 3,000 new works of art in addition to the existing 1,100 pieces on loan from the Fisher Family. With seven floors of exhibition space, the new SFMOMA is set to become the largest modern and contemporary art museum in the United States.

Snøhetta, which partnered with the SFMOMA on the extensive project, is one of the leading architecture firms in the world. The prestigious Norwegian company has an impressive portfolio, credited for reconstructing Times Square in New York and restoring the Grand Palais in Paris. Museum officials and Snøhetta worked tirelessly to reconstruct SFMOMA, merging its existing structure with a newly designed wing. The complementary wings are described as “dance partners” by lead architect Craig Dykers of Snøhetta.

Patrons will now be able to enter the museum from its new entrance on Howard St. or from the original door on Third. Both entrances will lead to a central staircase, which will guide patrons to the ticketing lobby and the second floor free zone. The exhibition on the second floor, which is free to the general public, will permanently feature Matisse’s “Semme Au Chapeau” and Jackson Pollock’s “Guardians of the Secret.”

According to Deputy Museum Director Ruth Berson, the renovated SFMOMA is so extensive that it will be impossible for guests to see every exhibit at the museum in one day. With an entire floor dedicated to photography and a sculpture terrace with a living wall, the new SFMOMA has everything an art lover could ever ask for. Learn more about the project and the grand reopening of the SFMOMA here.