LACMA's David Geffen Galleries Open After Two Decades

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opened its David Geffen Galleries in April 2026, designed by Peter Zumthor in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). The 274-meter-long structure, suspended over Wilshire Boulevard, features a monolithic concrete and glass design that eliminates a traditional entrance and hierarchical circulation, allowing visitors to create their own path. The curatorial approach, led by director Michael Govan, presents around three thousand works without chronological or geographical order, emphasizing cross-cultural connections. The building includes a single elevated level that frees public space at ground level, with a shaded plaza featuring tropical vegetation. Lighting is modulated by metal curtains and controlled openings, creating atmospheric conditions for art reception. The project, with an investment of approximately $724 million, underwent multiple adjustments and delays. Govan describes the museum as an archipelago where works coexist in open relationships, reflecting flows that dissolve boundaries.