5905 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036 | map |
Opening: Perhaps Spring 2025 for LACMA member previews with the public opening of the theatre and gallery spaces scheduled for April 2026.
The new 900 foot long building will contain a theatre that's intended to be a replacement for LCMA's Bing Theatre, demolished in 2020. The building will have entrances on both sides of Wilshire Blvd.
In the October 25, 2024 L.A. Times article "LACMA announces opening date in 2026 as scaffolding comes down on Wilshire Blvd.," Jessica Gelt comments:
"The portion of the building that perches on the south side of Wilshire, where a surface parking lot once stood, will include a cafe that will look out on the street, as well as a 300-seat theater housed in one of seven 30-foot-tall ground-level pavilions holding the museum’s exhibition floor aloft. Other pavilion bases will hold a restaurant, the LACMA store and the W.M. Keck Education Center..."
Theatre name: Unknown at this point. The building will be called the David Geffen Galleries.
Seating: It's projected to be about 300.
The rendering is one of several that make an appearance in "More progress for LACMA's David Geffen Galleries," Steven Sharp's April 2024 article for Urbanize. Some of his comments:
"The project, which began work in 2020, was the subject of contention at the time due to a decision by museum leadership to replace the museum's original buildings designed by William Pereira. In their place stands a new two-story structure which bridges across Wilshire Boulevard and will feature gallery space, a new theater, classrooms, restaurant space, a shop, event space, and other back-of house functions. Peter Zumthor designed the building with an amorphous footprint, with a largely concrete exterior and glass wrapping the upper gallery. The museum intends to use this space to display works such as sculptures, tiles, and ceramics which can be shown safely in natural light.
"The David Geffen Galleries, consisting of 350,000 square feet of total space and 110,000 square feet of gallery space, will actually be smaller than the buildings they replaced, which accounted for roughly 393,000 square feet of total floor area - including 120,000 square feet of galleries. LACMA has argued that the difference is accounted for by the relocation of art storage and office space to off-site locations. Likewise, the museum has pointed out that the museum's overall footprint will be 220,000 square feet after completion of the new project - up from 130,000 square feet in 2007."
October 2024 - Looking in at the south end of the building. Photo: Bill Counter
More Information: See "David Geffen Galleries Construction Enters Final Phase, April 2026 Opening Planned," an October 2024 construction update on the LACMA Unframed site.
More details about the building are in Jessica Gelt's "LACMA announces opening date in 2026 as scaffolding comes down on Wilshire Blvd.," her October 25, 2024 article for the L.A. Times.
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No renderings of the new theatre space anywhere? That seems odd, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteObviously the theatre isn't a priority for them. I've not seen many renderings of interior spaces, period. And no floorplans so far. But the search is just beginning. I just wanted to get a page started for this baby so we can look at things as they emerge. Let me know if you come across anything of interest!
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