LACMA's David Geffen Galleries nears completion above Wilshire

With its April 19 opening date just one month away now, the finishing touches are now in place for LACMA's David Geffen Galleries on the Miracle Mile.

The project, which broke ground in 2020, replaced the museum's original buildings designed by William Pereira with a new two-story structure  that spans across Wilshire Boulevard. The interior of the more than $700-million building includes gallery space, a new theater, classrooms, restaurant space, a shop, event space, and other back-of house functions. The new building is surrounding by a plaza adorned with artwork, adding to existing outdoor offerings such as "Urban Light" and "Levitated Mass."

Designed by architect Peter Zumthor, the David Geffen Galleries have an amorphous footprint when viewed from above, with an exterior of concrete and glass on its upper floors. The upper level, which will be open to natural light, is to display works such as sculptures, tiles, and ceramics which can safely be exposed to the sun. Other artwork which can be damaged by sunlight will be displayed in internal galleries.

The project totals approximately 350,000 square feet of floor area, including 110,000 square feet of gallery space. The total footprint of the final product is slightly smaller than what was contained in the demolished buildings, although LACMA officials have previously argued that the difference is accounted for by the relocation of art storage and office space to off-site locations. Additionally, museum officials have noted that LACMA's total footprint is 220,000 square feet after completion of the David Geffen Galleries, which is a significant increase from the 130,000 square feet of space it occupied in 2007.

Other LACMA projects in the works include a satellite outpost at the Frank Gehry-designed SELA Cultural Center in South Gate. Plans for a campus in South Los Angeles have been canceled, citing increased costs.

The debut of the David Geffen Galleries may cap a long period of construction on the Miracle mile, including the adjacent Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the D Line subway extension. Heavy equipment will remain around for the near future, as the adjacent La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum are also set to begin a revamp later this year.

All photography courtesy of Hunter Kerhart Architectural Photography - visit www.HunterKerhart.com for more architectural imagery.

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