Venues
YBCA's buildings are the work of two acclaimed contemporary architects, Fumihiko Maki and James Stewart Polshek. Located on the eastern edge of the Esplanade Gardens in Yerba Buena Gardens, the landmark state-of-the-art facilities are a valuable resource for the communities of the Bay Area.
Learn more about renting our facilities here.
Galleries and Forum Building
The Galleries and Forum building at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts has the distinction of being the first major architectural commission in the United States for architect Fumihiko Maki, recipient of the 1993 Pritzker Prize. A contemporary two-story building of metal, glass and stone, the 55,000-square foot design includes three galleries, a multi-use Forum, media screening room and administrative offices.
Galleries
- 5,200-square foot gallery with 25' ceiling
- 2,000-square foot gallery with 25' ceiling, louver-controlled skylight
- 1,000-square foot "high-tech" gallery with 14' ceiling
Forum
- 6,700-square foot multi-use space with seating for up to 600 persons
- Flexible design for theater, dance, music, performance art, lectures, and special events
- Sprung wood floor for dance and tension grid for theatrical lighting
Find out more about YBCA's Forum in the Forum tech specs and floorplans.
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For additional images, please visit our
Forum Images Section.
Media Screening Room
- 94-seat theater for film and video screenings, lectures and special events
Find out more about YBCA's Screening Room here.
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Novellus Theater
Architect James Stewart Polshek's design for Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts provides a proscenium theater that will accommodate the presentation of a full range of traditional and experimental productions. The 46,800-square foot theater building features an exterior of aluminum panels that respond to the subtle and changing qualities of San Francisco light.
Proscenium Theater with two-level seating for up to 755 persons
- Stage area 43' deep by 93' wide, with 44' x 33' proscenium opening
- Sprung wood floor
- Complete flyhouse and counterweight pit
- Orchestra pit with seating for up to 30 musicians
- Front and rear projection capability
- Dressing rooms for up to 44 performers
Find out more about Novellus Theater in the Theater tech specs and floorplans.
click photos to enlarge