{"id":732,"date":"2025-06-30T09:20:51","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T09:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/?p=732"},"modified":"2025-06-30T10:20:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T10:20:03","slug":"first-look-inside-lacmas-new-zumthor-designed-galleries-through-the-lens-of-iwan-baan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/2025\/06\/30\/first-look-inside-lacmas-new-zumthor-designed-galleries-through-the-lens-of-iwan-baan\/","title":{"rendered":"first look inside LACMA\u2019s new zumthor-designed galleries through the lens of iwan baan"},"content":{"rendered":"

lacma reveals david geffen galleries, designed by peter zumthor<\/h2>\n

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Peter Zumthor\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> long-awaited redesign of the Los Angeles<\/strong><\/a> County Museum of Art takes a step forward as LACMA<\/strong><\/a> reveals the David Geffen Galleries, its new architectural centerpiece, before art installation begins ahead of the grand public opening in April 2026 (find designboom’s previous coverage here<\/strong><\/a>). Capturing the horizontal, elevated structure in glass<\/strong><\/a> and concrete<\/strong><\/a>, images by Iwan Baan<\/strong><\/a> offer the first interior look at the museum\u2019s<\/strong> <\/a>10,220-square-meter exhibition<\/strong><\/a> level. LACMA is now preparing to welcome the public to select areas of the new building starting summer 2025, signaling a gradual activation of the most ambitious architectural transformation in its history.<\/p>\n

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Before the galleries are filled with thousands of artworks from LACMA\u2019s encyclopedic collection, the museum offers a series of ‘sonic previews’ to animate the raw architecture. Acclaimed saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington led a more than 100-person ensemble in a performance of his work Harmony of Difference, spread across the full breadth of the empty exhibition spaces.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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all images by Iwan Baan<\/a><\/p>\n

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iwan baan’s images offer a preview of the museum’s new era<\/h2>\n

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Floating over Wilshire Boulevard like a contemporary bridge, Zumthor\u2019s building replaces four aging museum<\/a><\/strong> structures with a single, unified gallery space. In newly released photographs by Dutch photographer<\/strong><\/a> Iwan Baan, the architecture\u2019s flowing form is captured in its raw state, offering a first glimpse into the expansive, unoccupied interiors before art installation begins. The David Geffen Galleries are named after the media magnate whose contribution marked the campaign\u2019s largest gift, while the north wing honors LACMA trustee and board co-chair Elaine Wynn, whose pledge helped launch the building initiative. A new state-of-the-art performance space, the Steve Tisch Theater, anchors the southern plaza level.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Major construction of the Zumthor-designed structure was completed in late 2024, allowing key operational functions to move in. In summer 2025, the public will begin to access parts of the plaza level, including new dining and retail spaces. Ray\u2019s and Stark Bar will reopen in a redesigned location, while a new LACMA Store, funded by trustee Kelvin Davis and his wife, Hana, will also debut. Across the boulevard, a second restaurant and a caf\u00e9 will open in 2026, their spaces shaped by campaign gifts from Ann Colgin and Joe Wender, Ryan Seacrest, Ashley Merrill, and Marc Merrill.<\/p>\n

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LACMA reveals the David Geffen Galleries<\/p>\n

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outdoor sculptures to be installed in the following months<\/h2>\n

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Below the gallery floor, shaded public spaces on both sides of Wilshire Boulevard are designed for outdoor dining, programming, and art. A highlight is the East West Bank Commons, an outdoor plaza with capacity for 500-person events. The W.M. Keck Plaza will also become home to a new education center and a full-scale commissioned artwork by Mariana Castillo Deball titled Feathered Changes, which spans the north and south sides of the building.<\/p>\n

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The new structure reconnects LACMA with the city through architecture and landscape to offer over 14,160 square meters of accessible public space. Outdoor sculptures by artists including Liz Glynn, Thomas Houseago, Shio Kusaka, Pedro Reyes, and Diana Thater will be installed in the coming months. Longtime favorites will also return, including Tony Smith\u2019s Smoke (1967), Alexander Calder\u2019s Three Quintains (Hello Girls) (1964), and a newly designed 743-square-meter Rodin garden, funded by the Cantor Foundation, showcasing some of the artist\u2019s most iconic bronze works.<\/p>\n

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As the museum ramps up toward its 2026 opening, more previews will be announced, and the installation of LACMA\u2019s permanent collection will begin later this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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images by Iwan Baan offer the first interior look at the museum\u2019s 10,220-square-meter exhibition level<\/p>\n

\"\"
capturing the horizontal, elevated structure in glass and concrete<\/p>\n

\"\"
LACMA is now preparing to welcome the public to select areas of the new building<\/p>\n

\"\"
Zumthor\u2019s building replaces four aging museum structures with a single, unified gallery space<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"first-look-lacma-new-zumthor-david-geffen-galleries-lens-iwan-baan-los-angeles-designboom-large01\"<\/p>\n

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the architecture\u2019s flowing form is captured in its raw state<\/p>\n

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\t\t<\/p>\n

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major construction of the Zumthor-designed structure was completed in late 2024<\/p>\n

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the installation of LACMA\u2019s permanent collection will begin later this year<\/p>\n

\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t\"first-look-lacma-new-zumthor-david-geffen-galleries-lens-iwan-baan-los-angeles-designboom-large02\"<\/p>\n

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as the museum ramps up toward its 2026 opening, more previews will be announced<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

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the new structure reconnects LACMA with the city through architecture and landscape<\/p>\n

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Peter Zumthor\u2019s long-awaited redesign of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art<\/p>\n

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project info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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name:\u00a0<\/strong>LACMA<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@lacma<\/a><\/p>\n

architect:\u00a0<\/strong>Peter Zumthor<\/p>\n

location:\u00a0<\/strong>Los Angeles, California, US<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

photographer:<\/strong> Iwan Baan<\/a> | @iwanbaan<\/a><\/p>\n

The post first look inside LACMA’s new zumthor-designed galleries through the lens of iwan baan<\/a> appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

lacma reveals david geffen galleries, designed by peter zumthor   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/732"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=732"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":745,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/732\/revisions\/745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.macdolphins.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}