LACMA's David Geffen Galleries: Sustainable Conservation in a Radical New Museum

Earlier this year, the David Geffen Galleries at LACMA debuted with an innovative design characterized by glass façades and concrete walls, which present challenges for art preservation. To address this, LACMA implemented the Bizot Green Protocol, allowing for wider temperature and humidity variations while minimizing energy consumption. Exhibition planning was guided by scientific research, including microfading tests on textiles and colorimetric assessments of artworks, resulting in object repositioning and tailored curtains to reduce light exposure. Prior to the opening, eighty-eight sensors gathered data for eight months to ensure compliance with the Bizot Protocol. Additionally, LACMA is working with the Getty Conservation Institute's MCE initiative to oversee delicate wooden artifacts within microclimate vitrines, involving Diana Magaloni, Thomas Duffy, Jasmine Cleveland, Elsepeth Patient, and the MCE team.