The Diego Rivera Theater - Exterior

The Diego Rivera Theater
City College of San Francisco

Location

San Francisco, California

Owner

City College of San Francisco

Collaborators +

Architect of Record: TEF Design

Acoustics: Jaffee Holden

Theatrical / AV Consultant: The Shalleck Collaborative, Inc.

Structural Engineering: SOHA Engineers

Mechanical & Electrical Engineering: Interface Engineering

Plumbing Engineering: MHC Engineering

Civil Engineering: BKF Engineers

Landscape Architecture: Creo Landscape Architecture

Lighting Design: HLB Lighting

Cost Estimating: Directional Logic

Project Size

77,000 square feet

Seating Capacity

600 seat Auditorium, 150 seat Studio Theatre

Project Status

In Progress

Certifications

Targeting LEED New Construction Gold

Services

Architecture, Interior Design

The Diego Rivera Theater is poised to become the cultural centerpiece of the City College of San Francisco, anchoring a new academic precinct along Frida Kahlo Avenue. Serving as the permanent home for Diego Rivera’s renowned Pan American Unity mural, the theater will also house the college’s music and drama departments, creating a vibrant hub for both education and the arts.

The design features three distinct concrete volumes, each dedicated to a unique performance venue: a 600-seat performance hall, a 150-seat studio theater, and a 100-seat recital hall. These venues are unified by an architectural frame that embraces the mural lobby, providing a dramatic setting for the mural and a welcoming entry for visitors. The facility also includes ample instructional spaces, practice rooms, and administrative offices to support academic programming. As a landmark for the campus and the city, the Diego Rivera Theater will foster artistic excellence, community engagement, and cultural enrichment for students and visitors alike.

Photography: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

22001-01_Image_Pan-American-Unity_Image-credit-City-College-of-San-Francisco,-Banco-de-México-Diego-Rivera-and-Frida-Kahlo-Museums-Trust,-ARS

Diego Rivera, The Marriage of the Artistic Expression of the North and of the South on This Continent, also known as Pan American Unity, 1940; courtesy City College of San Francisco; © Banco de México Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico City / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The-Diego-Rivera-Theater_Image-credit-San-Francisco-History-Center,-San-Francisco-Public-Library

Diego Rivera’s Pan American Unity mural holds immense cultural significance as a vivid representation of the artist’s vision for unity across the Americas. Featuring a vibrant tapestry of figures that weave together historical, cultural, and industrial scenes from various regions, the artwork emphasizes the interconnectedness and solidarity between these diverse nations in the Americas.

tef-DESIGN_Logo_Site

tef Design

Architect of Record

Website

“The project reflects the highly interdisciplinary character of performance venues in the 21st century and is defined by the open lobby and a composition of program blocks that are organized around the mural. Designed from the inside-out, the project takes advantage of the building program, the views, and the circulation patterns around campus.”

– John Chau, Partner, LMN Architects