Backed by a $90 million investment fund, the Asian Art Museum is set for a major expansion that will add a 13,000-square-foot exhibition pavilion set to open in summer 2019.

The new terrace will expand the Hyde Street side of the 1917 Beaux Arts Building. Construction is set to begin in early 2018.

The new pavilion will allow the museum to hold more temporary exhibitions and will also transform the building with a rooftop art terrace, a 7,200-square-foot outdoor venue that will host sculpture and art installations and serve as a performance space.

The new space, the Akiko Yamazaki & Jerry Yang Pavilion, is named for the couple who pledged $25 million to the museum, the largest donation in its history.

Yamazaki chairs the Asian Art Commmision and the Asian Art Museum Foundation. She also leads the For All capital campaign that set out to raise $90 million "to ensure the lasting success of the museum." So far, the campaign has garnered more than $60.5 million from 72 donors.

Her husband, Yang, was a co-founder of Yahoo.

Akiko Yamazaki. | Photo: Asian Art Museum

“American life is deeply interwoven with Asia," said Yamazaki in a statement, "and the need to understand Asia’s history, values and contemporary culture is more essential than ever."

Architect Kulapat Yantrasast of wHY was chosen to lead the design, which will feature "a rusticated gray terra-cotta tile exterior and gem-shaped bay windows."

The pavilion is the cornerstone of a large transformation that the Asian Art Museum is undergoing, which will also include upgrades to education facilities.

“The goal of the transformation is to tell the vital story of Asian art, from prehistory to the present, as an evolving, globally relevant tradition,” said Jay Xu, CEO of the Asian Art Museum, in a statement.

“Museum visitors will discover fresh connections between Asian art and the world around them, engaging with the topics and issues that inspire artists working today.”



Image via the Asian Art Museum

The pavilion will also transform the way people experience the Civic Center landscape, the museum said.



“The city of SF is looking forward to the Asian Art Museum’s building transformation, which will both enhance the experience of all who visit our magnificent museum and revitalize the Civic Center neighborhood,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee in a statement.

In the meantime, the museum will stay open during construction. To stay updated on the progress of the new pavilion, visit the museum's pavilion plans page.