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Situated in San Francisco’s Civic Center, the Asian Art Museum is described as home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art, with more than 18,000 pieces of art curated with the intention of inspiring museum-goers through Asian and Asian American art. Initially established more than 50 years ago, the premier art venue underwent a massive project in 2017, the $38 million endeavor made to accommodate large exhibitions as well as a contemporary art program. Designed by WHY Architecture, the new exhibition space, the Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang Pavilion and East West Bank Art Terrace, was completed in 2020.

Kintsukuroi, translating to “golden repair,” is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with precious metals. The art regards the breakage and repair as part of the pottery’s history, and accentuates it rather than completely erasing or disguising it. Inspired by Kintsukuroi, designers at Gensler approached One Post Office Square with the intention of utilizing some of the already-existing features and enhancing it with architectural additions, creating something exquisite.