Integrating art into public spaces.

Designed by award-winning architect Ricardo Legorreta, known for his signature use of vibrant colors and natural light to create geometric forms that are modern, yet timeless, the William J. Rutter Center at UCSF Mission Bay opened in October 2005. It contains the world-class Bakar Fitness & Recreation Center with a rooftop swimming pool and climbing wall, UCSF administrative offices, The Pub restaurant, and the Mission Bay Conference Center.

The social center of UCSF's 43-acre life sciences campus for teaching and research, the building's focal point is the 80-foot-tall, light-filled Fisher Atrium, topped by a dramatic skylight.

In this atrium, Four Large Figures, by Stephan Balkenhol, welcomes visitors. Each figure, carved from a single trunk of wood, is part of the impressive public art collection at UCSF Mission Bay named in honor of J. Michael Bishop, MD, Nobel Laureate (1989), and UCSF Chancellor Emeritus (1998-2009). By establishing a world-class public art program to coincide with the ongoing construction of the new UCSF Mission Bay campus, Dr. Bishop's purpose was "to create an environment that will be a credit and benefit to the entire community, a stimulating and pleasant place to work and visit, and a permanent legacy to the city of San Francisco."

The general public is invited to view the artworks included in this extensive collection. For more information and a self-guided Art Tour map, visit: http://chancellor.ucsf.edu/MBA/index.php

A small collection of books about the artists represented is also available for viewing within the UCSF library in the Rutter Campus Community Center.