ot ih u ac an ▁mur als . ▁ ▁European ▁ ▁The ▁permanent ▁collection ▁contains ▁also ▁some ▁works ▁by ▁European ▁pain ters , ▁such ▁as ▁Salvador ▁D ali . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁ ▁The ▁current ▁building ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁architect s ▁Jacques ▁Herzog , ▁Pierre ▁de ▁Me ur on ▁and ▁F ong ▁+ ▁Chan ▁and ▁opened ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁Struct ural , ▁civil ▁and ▁ge ote chn ical ▁engineering ▁was ▁provided ▁by ▁R uther ford ▁& ▁Che k ene ; ▁A rup ▁provided ▁mechanical ▁and ▁elect rical ▁engineering . ▁Herzog ▁& ▁de ▁Me ur on ▁won ▁the ▁competition ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁be ating ▁out ▁other ▁short - list ed ▁architect s ▁T ada o ▁And o ▁and ▁Antoine ▁Pred ock . ▁The ▁terrain ▁and ▁se ism ic ▁activity ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁pos ed ▁a ▁challenge ▁for ▁the ▁design ers ▁Herzog ▁& ▁de ▁Me ur on ▁and ▁principal ▁architect s ▁F ong ▁& ▁Chan . ▁ ▁To ▁help ▁with stand ▁future ▁earth qu akes , ▁“ [ the ▁building ] ▁can ▁move ▁up ▁to ▁three ▁feet ▁( 9 1 ▁cent im eters ) ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁ball - b ear ing ▁sl iding ▁pl ates ▁and ▁vis c ous ▁fluid ▁d amp ers ▁that ▁abs orb ▁kin etic ▁energy ▁and ▁convert ▁it ▁to ▁heat ”. ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁museum ▁structure ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁an ▁urban ▁park ▁was ▁initially ▁controvers ial . ▁San ▁Francisco ▁vot ers ▁twice ▁defeated ▁bond