Preserving the Roof. Perfecting the Light.
At Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, a historic sawtooth roof was never something to conceal. It was the architectural feature that made the building memorable — and the daylighting challenge that demanded a more precise solution than off-the-shelf glass could provide.
Project Details
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An Architectural Statement of Its Own
When Diller, Scofidio + Renfro began the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive expansion and renovation, the assignment was to merge old and new into a single, state-of-the-art home for offices, collections, exhibitions, film, and public programs. The project connected a 48,000 sq ft Art Deco–style former University of California Berkeley printing plant with a 35,000 sq ft new structure.
The original printing plant’s north-facing sawtooth roof was retained. That decision made the roof a central part of the museum’s identity and created the need for a daylighting strategy equal to the architecture. As BAM/PFA’s founding director Pete Selz described it, the building needed to make “an aesthetic statement of its own” while still putting art and film at the centre of the visitor experience.
The Challenge: Museum Light Through Historic Geometry
Galleries need light that allows visitors to experience art accurately and comfortably. They cannot tolerate glare, high contrast, or uncontrolled hotspots. The sawtooth roof offered a powerful daylighting opportunity, but its complex geometry could not be altered without compromising the feature the preservation strategy was built around.
What the Daylighting Strategy Had to Do
The distinctive north-facing profile needed to remain intact, not be redesigned around a conventional glazing system.
Acclaimed art had to be seen in colour-correct daylight without the glare and contrast that make galleries uncomfortable.
The preserved printing plant and new structure needed a consistent architectural and lighting experience across the museum.
The Solution: Custom Daylighting, Built Around the Roof
AGL worked with the design team to create custom Solera® glazing units for the sawtooth roof. The goal was not merely to add translucent material; it was to calibrate daylight distribution for this exact geometry using modelling and adjustable product variables.
Light Diffusion Designed for the Gallery
Solera® uses a proprietary diffusion veil to distribute incoming daylight broadly through the interior. For BAMPFA, the units were configured to achieve a seamless blend of natural daylight and controlled lumen levels across the gallery — maintaining the sawtooth roof’s architectural presence while eliminating the glare and contrast that would compromise the art-viewing experience.
Why Modelling Matters in Museum Work
Complex daylighting is not solved by choosing a product from a generic specification. The roof geometry, desired level of illumination, visual sensitivity of the exhibits, and architectural intent all need to work together. BAMPFA required the team to test a range of constructs and configure the Solera® glazing to deliver exactly the right quantity and quality of light.
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Colour-Correct Light
Supports a faithful, comfortable experience of the art
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No Harsh Contrast
Evenly distributed daylight across the gallery interior
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Preserved Heritage
Historic roof geometry retained as an architectural asset
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The Result: A Landmark That Lets the Art Lead
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The completed BAM/PFA is an active landmark in Berkeley’s downtown arts district, hosting more than 400 films, 20 art exhibitions, and a full schedule of programs and performances each year. Its daylighting strategy proves that preservation does not require compromise. With the correct analysis and product configuration, a historic roof can remain the defining feature of a building while delivering the conditions a contemporary museum needs. The lesson is useful far beyond museums. When a project’s architectural identity depends on a complicated roof, skylight, or façade geometry, the solution is not to remove the feature or accept the glare. It is to model the light, assign the materials the right jobs, and make the building work as beautifully as it looks. |
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Architect: Diller, Scofidio + Renfro | Client: Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive | Product: Solera® | Photo Credit: BCI Concrete
