The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has announced that its long-awaited David Geffen Galleries expansion will open in April 2026, over two decades after the project was first announced in 2001. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the $720 million serpentine structure spans Wilshire Boulevard and replaces several older buildings, increasing gallery space from 130,000 to 220,000 square feet. The project faced numerous setbacks, including public criticism of the design, concerns over the nearby La Brea Tar Pits, the discovery of sabre-toothed tiger skulls during construction, pandemic delays, the departure of longtime donor The Ahmanson Foundation, and Zumthor's distancing from the project in 2023 due to cost compromises. A series of soft openings are planned for summer 2025 before the full public debut.
This expansion matters because it represents a transformative moment for LACMA, one of the largest encyclopedic museums in the United States, and a test of ambitious museum building in the face of escalating costs and community pushback. The new single-level, open-plan gallery aims to eliminate traditional cultural hierarchies by placing all artworks on the same plane without fixed departmental divisions, potentially reshaping how visitors experience permanent collections. The project also highlights the growing challenges of major museum expansions—from archaeological discoveries and environmental concerns to donor relations and architect retention—making it a case study for institutional resilience in the 21st-century art world.