The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has officially opened the David Geffen Galleries, a long-anticipated expansion designed by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The building, which spans Wilshire Boulevard with a signature elevated form, marks the culmination of a twenty-year effort to modernize the institution. Known for his atmospheric and minimalist approach, Zumthor has delivered a structure that deviates from the rigid, chronological corridors of traditional encyclopedic museums.
Inside, the museum’s permanent collection—comprising some 155,000 objects spanning 6,000 years—is housed on a single, continuous level. This "non-hierarchical" layout is intentional; it allows diverse cultures, eras, and artistic traditions to coexist without the spatial silos that often define Western art institutions. The gallery space is designed for flexibility, encouraging visitors to forge their own paths through history rather than following a prescribed narrative.
The project represents a significant shift for LACMA as it seeks to position itself as a global hub for art in the western United States. By lifting the galleries off the ground and creating a transparent, porous connection to the surrounding city, the design attempts to integrate the museum into the urban fabric of Los Angeles. It is a bold experiment in how a public institution can reorganize human history into a single, fluid experience.
With reporting from ArchDaily.
Source · ArchDaily