Project Overview
The expansion of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is a major milestone in meeting the growing demand for exhibition space. The redesigned museum will feature four times the current gallery space, with two levels of bright, expansive galleries. The project also introduces a new public park and seaside terraces offering stunning, panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
The expansion includes the addition of 46,400 square feet of new construction, nearly doubling the museum's size to a total of 104,400 square feet. This thoughtful expansion integrates precast concrete for both its aesthetic appeal and structural efficiency, with custom single and double tees spanning 50 feet to create open, sophisticated gallery spaces. These sloped, sharp-edged precast elements enhance architectural elegance while ensuring material and construction efficiency.
Precast Solution
The San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art expansion showcases architecturally exposed precast concrete, blending aesthetic elegance with structural efficiency. Produced by Coreslab Structures (L.A.) Inc., the custom precast double tees form the gallery's sleek, modern roof, featuring sharp rectangular forms and minimal radii for a refined finish. To maintain the clean ceiling aesthetic, air services were routed through the floor below, enhancing the open, minimalist design.
Located in a high seismic zone, the precast double tee roof also serves as a structural diaphragm, carrying large lateral loads while keeping a low profile. A topping slab conceals reinforcements and drag elements, ensuring an unobstructed underside. Close collaboration between the design team, contractor, and Coreslab Structures ensured that the precast elements met both architectural and engineering demands.
A key feature of the expansion is the floating stairs, a visually striking yet structurally complex element connecting the museum's upper and lower galleries. Each precast tread unit transfers loads in a cascading effect, requiring precise detailing and coordination with the adjacent cast-in-place wall. The result is an elegant, weightless appearance that highlights the strength and versatility of precast concrete.
The project's 28 precast single and double tee panels - ranging from 3.5 to 7 feet wide, 50 feet long, and 18 inches deep - form the roof structure, while the floating staircase consists of 13 double tread units, a landing and unique top and bottom treads, each about 6 feet long and 13.5 inches deep. The roof tees were painted white, while the stairs remained exposed, showcasing the material's natural beauty.
BIM technology played a crucial role in coordinating fixtures and penetrations in the precast concrete components, streamlining planning and construction. By minimizing material use and reducing embodied carbon, precast concrete helped create a high-performance, sustainable design, while accelerating construction to enclose the structure quickly. The prestressed precast tees further increased efficiency by reducing concrete volume compared to traditional reinforced concrete.
This expansion is a testament to precast concrete's innovation and versatility, proving that structural integrity, efficiency, and architectural beauty can coexist in a world-class cultural space. |