David Geffen Galleries Construction Enters Final Phase Full Form of Building Revealed as Scaffolding Is Removed April 2026 Opening Planned
Image caption: The David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA by Gary Leonard
(Los Angeles, CA—October 25, 2024) The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced today that, after four years of construction, the last of the scaffolding will be removed from the David Geffen Galleries, revealing for the first time the full form of LACMA’s new building for its permanent collection, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor. With the full shape of the 900-foot- long, horizontal building at last visible as it spans Wilshire Boulevard, construction will move into its final phase. With nearly 90% of construction finished to date, major construction completion will be reached by the end of 2024, and in early 2025
LACMA will start to move key operational functions into the building. After the building systems are commissioned, LACMA will install artworks from the museum’s global collections in 110,000 square feet of galleries on the exhibition level, with April 2026 set as the opening of the David Geffen Galleries. LACMA will offer select groups, including members, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preview the dramatic spaces inside the building in its raw state starting in spring 2025 before artworks are installed.
“Being so close to opening our new galleries and to having so much more art on view is incredibly exciting, so many people have contributed to making this vision for LACMA and Los Angeles a reality, and we are grateful to each and every one. When the scaffolding comes down, L.A. will finally see 360 degrees of Peter Zumthor’s amazing architectural achievement and begin to sense how wonderful this building is going to be inside. We can’t wait to open to the public in April 2026.”
Marrying architectural design and program, non-hierarchical presentations of art from all cultures and eras will be brought together on the single, elevated exhibition level in the David Geffen Galleries, redefining the museum experience for visitors and offering a more inclusive perspective on art and history. On the exhibition level, floor- to-ceiling glass panels along the soaring perimeter will open some of the galleries to natural light while providing panoramic views out to the city, making every visit feel new depending on the time of day, season, and weather. The exhibition spaces vary from these light-filled terrace galleries to sheltered interior galleries suitable for installation of light-sensitive works. The subtlety of the changing light is framed by the solidity of architectural concrete, chosen for its structural and aesthetic properties. The design of the David Geffen Galleries seamlessly integrates the building with Hancock Park and opens 3.5 acres of new outdoor space, which will be activated with public art installations, educational programming, and events. At street level, below the exhibition floor, a series of pavilions will house three restaurants/cafes, the LACMA Store, a 300-seat theater, and the W.M. Keck Education Center.
The opening of the David Geffen Galleries in April 2026 will bring to a culmination a two-decade campus transformation to increase gallery space at LACMA and enhance the visitor experience. Previous phases included the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) in 2008 and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion in 2010, which together added 100,000 square feet of gallery space and, critically, enabled LACMA to continue presenting exhibitions and programming while construction of the David Geffen Galleries proceeded on the east side of the campus. With the 110,000 square feet of exhibition space in the David Geffen Galleries, LACMA will have 220,000 square feet of galleries, a significant increase from its 130,000 square feet in 2007.
Development and construction of the David Geffen Galleries is funded by the Building LACMA campaign, which has raised $793 million to date, exceeding its initial $750 million fundraising goal, inclusive of the building cost of $715 million (including contingency added for tar and fossil impacts). In addition to the $125 million contribution from the County of Los Angeles and the $150 million gift from David Geffen, major donors to the historic public-private partnership include LACMA board of trustees co-chair Elaine Wynn, the W.M. Keck Foundation, LACMA’s board of trustees, and many other philanthropic leaders from a wide range of industries and creative communities. The building will be owned by the County of Los Angeles, more than 80% paid for by private donations.
LACMA COO Diana Vesga has been responsible for the building project since its inception in 2014 and has overseen Clark Construction Group, LACMA’s general contractor, and Aurora Development, LACMA’s owner’s representative and project manager, in addition to all engineering and consulting firms that have been instrumental for the realization of this monumental project. The project went through an Environmental Impact Review (EIR) process with extensive community outreach over five years before its EIR was certified and the project was unanimously approved in 2019 to move forward by L.A. County Board of Supervisors, with L.A. County as lead agency and L.A. City as responsible agency. L.A. City Council also unanimously approved the air space vacation over Wilshire Boulevard for the horizontal design of the building to be a reality. Since the beginning of the project, approximately 4,500 workers across disciplines and trades including architecture, structural engineering, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, civil engineering, lighting, acoustics, landscape design, and sustainability consulting helped realize this project. It was estimated by Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation in 2021 that the David Geffen Galleries project would generate more than $1.2 billion in economic benefits for Los Angeles.
About LACMA
Located on the Pacific Rim, LACMA is the largest art museum in the western United States, with a collection of more than 150,000 objects that illuminate 6,000 years of artistic expression across the globe. Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. LACMA’s spirit of experimentation is reflected in its work with artists, technologists, and thought leaders as well as in its regional, national, and global partnerships to share collections and programs, create pioneering initiatives, and engage new audiences.
Location: 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036.
For more updates on the progress and stages of this development at LACMA please visit their site. The museum can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
