YUD

Daniel Libeskind (2008)
Permanent
Yerba Buena: 736 Mission Street, CJM (View Map)

36 diamond-shaped windows light the top floor of the metal cube known as the

in the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM). Once inside, visitors see how the

soaring walls and windows carve the space with sunlight. The museum’s vision of the relationship between tradition and innovation, legacy and invention, is perfectly embodied in the

and the building itself, one of the most intriguing designs by the studio led by architect Daniel Libeskind.

Inspired by the phrase

meaning

Libeskind let the Hebrew letters that spell

and

guide the form of the building. The entire ground-level lobby reveals a dramatic view of the skylights and the

the southern wing where the museum visit begins. An illuminated stair rises from the lobby through the southern edge of the

, crosses the central point of

, and emerges into the

northern wing.

Best Viewing: The shape overlooking Yerba Buena Lane is the

After dark, stand in the museum's entrance plaza to take in the dramatic warm light emanating from the

diamond-shaped windows. Access the interior during museum operating hours with paid admission.