City of Oakland Breaks Ground on Rainbow Recreation Center Expansion

Construction crews broke ground on a project to renovate and significantly expand Rainbow Recreation Center at 5800 International Boulevard in Oakland. Estructure is thrilled to be a part of the design team bringing this state-of-the-art facility to East Oakland. The $13.7 million project is scheduled to open in early 2019.

The expansion of the facility involves construction of a new steel braced frame building and a new wood building. The buildings will house a multi-purpose room, computer room, daycare center, office, kitchen, and pantry. The existing recreation center has been demolished, with the exception of the indoor basketball court, which was refurbished in 2015 by the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation.

The signature architectural feature of the building is a sweeping, curved steel canopy which forms a monumental entrance to the building and encloses a grand lobby space. As project manager throughout the design process, Chiara McKenney enjoyed collaborating with Byrens Kim Design Works and supporting their architectural design for the building: “It was a rewarding – and fun — process to develop a structural design that complemented Byrens Kim’s striking vision.”