Museum of Riverside Renovation & Expansion

Riverside, CA

A beloved historic building gets new life as a community cultural center.

The rehabilitation of this historic 1912 Federal Post Office includes the removal and replacement of an existing rear addition to the south side of the building with a new, dynamic two-story structure with a roof terrace that is modern in appearance yet complimentary to the historic structure. Nestled between the new addition and the historic building is a new, universal-access entry opening into a grand lobby space connecting new and old. The exhibit-box addition is designed to be compatible with the historic Mission Revival style of the post office and surrounding structures by using a similar materials palette and articulation of fenestration while providing the museum with a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment for exhibits. New hardscape and exterior learning areas supplement the interior exhibits to celebrate the museum’s mission of sustainability and regional education. A recent addition to the program included a sustainability component to go for LEED Gold.

Project Facts

Client:

City of Riverside

Size:

21,000 sf renovation | 1,200 sf addition

Services:

Planning/Programming, Architecture, Interior Design, Construction Administration

Sustainability :

Targeting LEED Gold

Practice Areas:

Arts + Culture

Region:

United States

Studios:

Los Angeles

News

"Museum of Riverside groundbreaking set for June 27," Hey Socal, June 25, 2025

"Museum of Riverside Groundbreaking Set for June 27," Inland Empire Community News, June 20, 2025

"Museum of Riverside may reopen in 2026 — nine years after closing," The Press-Enterprise, Dec. 28, 2023

Awards

2024 Honor Award, Perkins Eastman Annual Excellence Portfolio