Over the last two decades, LACMA has been transforming itself to make the experience of our collection richer and more accessible than ever before, while honoring traditions of all cultures and ensuring that the museum can be a place of reflection, expression, and empathy for everyone.
The culmination of our transformation is the David Geffen Galleries, a magnificent new building for the permanent collection designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor. With the $750 million campaign goal met and exceeded as of August 2023, and construction well underway, we are in the final stages of bringing this next evolution of LACMA to all of Los Angeles. Importantly, all cultures will be presented on one level, with a non-hierarchical display of art—a strong statement for Los Angeles.
Leading up to the construction of the David Geffen Galleries, the museum added two buildings, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (2008) and the Resnick Exhibition Pavilion (2010), designed by another Pritzker Prize winner, Renzo Piano; enhanced outdoor art sculptures with the installation of Urban Light (2008) and Levitated Mass (2012); and opened Ray’s and Stark Bar on our Smidt Welcome Plaza, a covered outdoor space that has become Los Angeles’s living room. We have also recently completed a major retrofit and renovation of Bruce Goff’s Pavilion for Japanese Art. These upgrades have enabled us to diversify our audience and better serve our communities.
LACMA’s plan represents a fresh Los Angeles take on a big art museum, one that is rooted in our commitment to increasing access to the arts for the diverse multicultural communities of Los Angeles.
We invite you to be a part of the new LACMA.