Diego Rivera Performing Arts Center

A Vibrant New Cultural Destination

client

City College of San Francisco
location

San Francisco, CA
size

77,000 sf
sustainability

LEED Gold

A collaboration between TEF and LMN, the Diego Rivera Performing Arts Center will showcase Diego Rivera’s spectacular mural on campus for the first time, standing as a defining landmark at City College of San Francisco. Its expansive glass curtain wall and striking fly tower create a bold architectural presence, establishing the theater as a vibrant campus hub and cultural destination for the surrounding community.

Designed to showcase the artwork, the lobby is wrapped in a glass wall to allow passers-by to be drawn in by the monumental presence of the colorful mural. Climate control measures in the space will help to preserve the mural.

A Cultural Landmark Anchored by Rivera’s Mural

At the heart of the building is Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural, originally painted for the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1940, the mural holds immense cultural significance as a vivid representation of the artist’s vision for unity across the Americas. The theater transforms this iconic mural into a living centerpiece, elevating its cultural significance while making it broadly accessible to the public for the first time in decades.

Dynamic Performance and Learning Spaces

The complex unites the music and drama departments with three distinct performance venues—a 600-seat performance hall, a 150-seat studio theater, and a 100-seat recital hall—alongside flexible rehearsal, instructional, and support spaces. Together, these create a vibrant hub for creative expression and collaboration.

The Diego Rivera Performing Arts Center represents CCSF’s strong commitment to advancing cultural awareness and access to art’s many expressions. I celebrate this meaningful step to making the DRPAC a reality that will truly benefit not only our college but the entire community for generations to come.

Dr. Kimberlee S. Messina

Chancellor, CCSF

The design integrates three concrete blocks of varying sizes, each housing a distinct performance venue within a unified frame that wraps around the lobby, where the mural is prominently displayed.

Sustainable and Campus-Defining Design

Targeting LEED Gold certification, the design integrates advanced sustainable strategies, including displacement ventilation, radiant heating/cooling, and stormwater management. The iconic glass curtain wall and fly tower position the building as a defining landmark along Frida Kahlo Way, reinforcing campus connections and framing a new civic destination for San Francisco.