ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Peter Zumthor Defends LACMA Building's Reduced Exhibition Space

architecture-design · 2026-04-20

Peter Zumthor has responded to the criticism about his design for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, especially concerning the smaller exhibition space compared to the previous structure. In a chat with the Los Angeles Times, he questioned the obsession with size, saying, "What’s the deal with being big? Why is that a problem?" He believes the building's scale is appropriate and expressed his love for smaller museums, noting, "Small museums are wonderful; large ones can be quite challenging." His comments come as the redevelopment of LACMA continues to draw attention and debate from the community and art world. This new design plays a crucial role in LACMA's transformation on its campus in Los Angeles.

Key facts

  • Peter Zumthor responded to criticism about his new LACMA building
  • Criticism focused on reduced exhibition space compared to the previous building
  • Zumthor questioned the emphasis on size in museums
  • He stated "What is this with bigness? What kind of a hang-up is this?"
  • Zumthor defended the building's scale, saying "It has the right scale"
  • He expressed that "Small museums are beautiful, big museums tend to be really difficult"
  • The comments were made in an interview with the Los Angeles Times
  • The interview was syndicated on Yahoo! Entertainment

Entities

Artists

  • Peter Zumthor

Institutions

  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Yahoo! Entertainment

Locations

  • Los Angeles
  • United States

Sources