LACMA’s New Building Encourages Personalized Exploration
**LACMA’s New Building: A Modern Take on the Museum Experience**
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) unveils its new building this weekend, marking a significant transformation of its campus. Directed by Michael Govan, the project challenges traditional museum paradigms by fostering thematic connections across time and space, reflecting Los Angeles’s diverse and interconnected culture.
Design and Construction Challenges
Swiss architect Peter Zumthor designed the $720 million structure — an increase from the initial $650 million estimate. Its anticipated opening follows years of debates over budget, design, and reduced exhibition space compared to the replaced buildings. The new building, however, boasts backing from notable figures, including a record $150 million donation from David Geffen.
A Blend of Old and New
Outside, visitors can engage with existing installations like Tony Smith’s “Smoke” and new commissions such as Jeff Koons’s “Split-Rocker.” The Bruce Goff Pavilion for Japanese Art stands preserved amidst the modernized settings, offering a nod to the old LACMA.
Reimagined Interior Spaces
The museum interior abandons chronological and geographical categorizations for thematic galleries. The David Geffen Galleries provide 110,000 square feet of single-level exhibition space emphasizing interconnectedness through themes like “Indigenismo” and “The Ancient Mediterranean: Merging Beliefs.” Installations fuse classic and contemporary works, such as the Mexica sculpture and Diego Rivera’s “Flower Day.”
Innovative Display Techniques
The museum’s design incorporates glass perimeters and curtains by Reiko Sudö, continually linking visitors to the Southern California environment. This approach, while visually pleasing, presents challenges with glare affecting the viewing of certain works. LACMA plans to rotate sensitive artworks to mitigate sunlight effects.
A New Museum Philosophy
The new LACMA encourages visitors to personalize their museum experience, fostering curiosity over traditional narratives. It proposes a modern view of an encyclopedic museum, embracing a dynamic, sometimes messy exploration of global art history. Senior deputy director Diana Magaloni emphasizes the institution’s role in sparking curiosity and questions, reflecting the museum’s innovative vision.