Overview

• The nonprofit completed a $36 million purchase of the 88.5-acre, 166,000-square-foot former Birkenstock site at 8171 Redwood Blvd. in Novato.
• Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss firm behind San Francisco’s de Young Museum, will lead the adaptive reuse of the midcentury modern warehouse and office buildings.
• The museum will center on 40,000 artifacts by Charles and Ray Eames and is projected to draw about 200,000 visitors annually.
• Planned features include immersive exhibitions, makerspaces, educational workshops, public open spaces, on-site retail and dining.
• Negotiations with Novato planning staff are underway as the institute works toward a target opening in 2028.