Eames Institute Reveals Novato Museum Design

The nonprofit released updated plans for its 88-acre campus and new gallery space in Novato, California.

Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Data Centers

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a stylized museum campus with a warehouse and pavilion, evoking architectural design and historical preservation. — The Eames Institute has unveiled architectural designs for its 88-acre campus in Novato, California, featuring adaptive reuse of a 1965 warehouse structure. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should cultural organizations be held accountable for the political views expressed by their leadership?

The Eames Institute has unveiled new design renderings for its future museum, which will be anchored by a 134,000-square-foot warehouse built in 1965. The project aims to blend historical adaptive reuse with a new 88,000-square-foot building on an 88-acre site.

Why it matters

This project represents a significant effort to preserve and showcase the legacy of the Eames design collective on a large-scale campus. By integrating a historic structure with modern architecture, the museum seeks to create a dedicated space for archival study and public exhibition.

The campus design features a 120-foot-long, 20-foot-wide bridge with a mirror finish connecting the warehouse to the new galleries. The existing 1965 warehouse structure boasts 36-foot-tall ceiling peaks to accommodate large-scale installations.

The players

Eames Institute

This nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving and sharing the work and design philosophy of Charles and Ray Eames.

Herzog & de Meuron

This internationally renowned Swiss architectural firm is responsible for the design of the new museum campus.

Field Operations

This urban design and landscape architecture firm is leading the development of the ten gardens at the site.

EHDD

This firm is serving as the executive architect to oversee the adaptive reuse and new construction efforts.

The details

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with executive architect EHDD, the site also includes 10 gardens by Field Operations filled with native species like California poppy and oak. The project, acquired in 2025, is positioned near Olompali State Historic Park.

The site warehouse was originally constructed in 1965.
The Eames Institute acquired the project site in 2025.
The museum is currently scheduled to open in 2030.

The Tech Race

The museum project follows the mission established by the 2022 founding of the Eames Institute. It signals a move to create permanent, dedicated physical infrastructure for design archives that were previously managed through more distributed or digital-first operations.

Residents and visitors can expect the development of a major cultural destination that will bring new public programming and garden spaces to the area by 2030. The transformation of the industrial warehouse may also influence local site accessibility and tourism traffic near the park.

The takeaway

This development serves as a model for how legacy industrial spaces can be repurposed for modern archival and public needs. Readers interested in adaptive reuse can look to the integration of the 1965 warehouse as a prime example of balancing historical context with new architectural functionality.