An eye-catching Novato building is going from calceology to ergonomics.
The egg-carton designed campus that formerly housed footwear-giant Birkenstock is planned as the future home of a museum dedicated to the works of Ray and Charles Eames, whose mid-20th century furniture designs are considered classics of the modern era.
The 88.5-acre property at Wood Hollow Drive, parallel to Highway 101 in Novato, has been purchased by the Eames Institute, a nonprofit focused on preserving and commemorating the work of the Eames Office, which produced works by the husband-and-wife design team known for their innovative furniture, architecture and other multi-media endeavors.
The property, empty since Birkenstock moved out in 2020, was purchased for $36 million and includes a 134,000-square-foot warehouse and 32,000-square-foot office complex originally built in 1964 and housed by the McGraw Hill publishing company…