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The long-awaited expansion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will open in April 2026, more than 20 years after the project was first announced
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 03 Jul 2025
LACMA first announced plans for the expansion in 2001 Credit: Iwan Baan
The David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will officially open in April 2026, after more than two decades of development.
In late June, several members of the press were invited by LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg director Michael Govan to preview the US$720m (€609m, £522m) gallery.
First announced in 2001, the expansion was spearheaded by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, whose original designs were unveiled in 2013. His proposal for an all-black, serpentine structure drew criticism from the public with comparisons ranging from a “freeway overpass” to an “amoebic pancake,” The Guardian reported.
Concerns over potential damage to the nearby La Brea Tar Pits, a significant paleontological site and tourist attraction, prompted a major redesign in 2014. Despite revised plans, delays emerged after construction broke ground in 2019, after 13 sabre-toothed tiger skulls were discovered on site.
The new gallery is divided into two storeys, with the second floor boasting a flowing, snake-like form CREDIT: IWAN BAAN
The Covid-19 pandemic caused further delays in 2020, which also saw The Ahmanson Foundation, a longtime donor to LACMA, end its 60-year relationship with the museum. The foundation, which had gifted artworks totalling US$130m (€110m, £94m), cited disagreements with Govan over his plans for the gallery and the proposed display of its donated works, reported the Los Angeles Times.
In 2023, escalating costs and design compromises led Zumthor to distance himself from the project. He told the New York Times that he had been repeatedly asked to scale down his vision and that the experience had deterred him from pursuing future work in the US.
Despite these setbacks, construction was completed in late 2024. A series of phased soft openings are scheduled for summer 2025, ahead of the full public opening in April 2026.
The new gallery spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces several of LACMA’s older buildings CREDIT: IWAN BAAN
Named after film producer David Geffen, who contributed US$150m (€127m, £109m) to the project, the new campus will house LACMA’s entire permanent collection. Installation of artworks is scheduled to begin later this year.
Located on the museum’s east side, the new structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces several of LACMA’s older buildings. The expansion increases the museum’s gallery space from 130,000 sq ft (12,077 sq m) to 220,000 sq ft (20,439 sq m).
The building is divided into two levels. The ground floor functions as a public plaza with multiple pavilions housing restaurants, retail outlets, outdoor seating, a theater, and utility areas.
The second floor serves as the main gallery space. Elevated 30 ft (9 m) above street level, the gallery features 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) of exhibition space, accessed by two concrete staircases from the plaza.
The structure, crafted from glass and low-carbon concrete, follows a flowing, horizontal form that aims to “redefine the visitor experience,” with an open plan space that avoids fixed pathways and department divisions.
“The horizontal single-level design eliminates traditional cultural hierarchies, placing all works of art on the same plane. No gallery space is designed permanently for any department of the collection. No single path through the rooms is prescribed by architecture,” said a LACMA spokesperson in a statement.
Museums and galleries
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