Peter Zumthor's David Geffen Galleries at LACMA Open as a Living Landscape
After nearly two decades of design and construction, the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) have officially opened. The building, crafted by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, showcases pale concrete arches, side illumination, and vibrantly colored walls influenced by Mesoamerican materials. Born in Basel, Switzerland in 1943, Zumthor, who studied at Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel and Pratt Institute, previously worked as a cabinetmaker. His acclaimed projects include Therme Vals and Kunsthaus Bregenz, and he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2009. Under the leadership of CEO Michael Govan, the LACMA project meets seismic standards. The opening exhibition contrasts ancient and modern art, highlighting themes of light and imperfection. A new theater is set to debut later this year.
Key facts
- David Geffen Galleries at LACMA have opened after nearly twenty years of design and construction.
- Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the structure hovers above Wilshire Boulevard in pale concrete arcs.
- Zumthor was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1943 and trained as a cabinetmaker under his father Oscar Zumthor.
- He studied at Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel and Pratt Institute in New York.
- Zumthor worked in historic preservation in Graubünden before gaining acclaim.
- His previous works include Therme Vals, Kolumba Museum, and Kunsthaus Bregenz.
- He won the 2009 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
- The project evolved over two decades with LACMA CEO and director Michael Govan.
- The building is engineered to withstand major seismic movement.
- The inaugural installation prioritizes resonance over taxonomy.
- Zumthor insisted on side light, saying 'Shadow is the evidence of the sun.'
- He resisted perfection, telling workers 'You are working on a sculpture of concrete. Sculptures are never perfect.'
- The campus includes olive trees and drought-tolerant plantings.
- A new theater will open later this year at LACMA.
Entities
Artists
- Peter Zumthor
- Oscar Zumthor
- Michael Govan
- Tony Smith
- Auguste Rodin
- William Pereira
- Francis Bacon
- Lucian Freud
- Chris Burden
- Elaine Wynn
- Holland Cotter
- Jennelle Fong
- Andras Szanto
- Mark Lamster
- Guido Reni
- Carlos Almaraz
- Winslow Homer
- Betye Saar
- John Constable
Institutions
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
- David Geffen Galleries
- Kunstgewerbeschule
- Pratt Institute
- Therme Vals
- Kolumba Museum
- Kunsthaus Bregenz
- Pritzker Architecture Prize
- Whitewall
- The New York Times
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- David Geffen building
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
- Ice Cream Museum (San Francisco)
- Dallas Morning News
- diacritical
- ArtsJournal
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Basel
- Switzerland
- New York
- Graubünden
- Haldenstein
- Wilshire Boulevard
- Hancock Park
- Boston
- Arkansas
- San Francisco