The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) opened its new $720 million David Geffen Galleries building to 2,000 members and guests for previews on June 27, 2025, before its official opening in April 2026. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the elevated concrete structure spans Wilshire Boulevard with 110,000 square feet of gallery space, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a 300-seat theater. Musician Kamasi Washington organized a "sonic preview" with 100 jazz musicians performing his six-part suite *Harmony of Difference* throughout the empty space. The building sits adjacent to the preserved Japanese Pavilion (designed by Bruce Goff, 1988) and features Tony Smith's sculpture *Smoke* (1967) in a courtyard.
This project matters because it represents one of the most ambitious and scrutinized museum expansions of the 21st century, spanning over two decades from an initial design competition in 2001. Lacma has raised more than $800 million for its "Building Lacma" campaign, and the Geffen Galleries embody director Michael Govan's vision to redefine the museum experience while addressing practical and curatorial concerns. The building required demolition of four existing structures—the Leo S. Bing Center and the Ahmanson, Hammer, and Art of the Americas buildings—highlighting the trade-offs involved in transforming a major urban museum campus on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile.