The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture

Designed by WHY in close collaboration with Page & Turnbull's historic preservation team, the project transformed the 1964 New Formalist library into a home for comedian Cheech Marin's collection of more than 700 paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by artists including Patssi Valdez, Sandy Rodriguez, Carlos Almaraz, Frank Romero, and Gilbert "Magú" Luján.

Rather than a top-down transformation, WHY's approach, which the firm terms Acupuncture Architecture, identified carefully localized interventions that reinvigorated the structure while preserving its civic history and historic character. The result defragments the building, opens up circulation, and creates space for multiple intersecting cultural narratives.

Outdoor spaces extend the experience beyond the galleries, hosting art programming, impromptu performances, lowrider shows, quinceañeras, and outdoor sculpture. The site in its entirety conveys the spirit of The Cheech: a space infused with sabor, flavor, vitality, and radical hospitality.