The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) held its first public event inside the new Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries on Thursday evening, offering a sneak peek before art is installed. The preview featured a site-specific concert by composer Kamasi Washington, with multiple bands and a choir performing throughout the empty concrete galleries. The building, which has been under construction for five years, is targeted to open in April 2026, though some construction details remain unfinished and landscaping is still settling.
This event matters because it marks a major milestone for LACMA after years of debate over the building's scale, design, and ambitions. The museum's shift from permanent collection displays to ever-rotating exhibitions raises questions about how the concrete walls will endure frequent rehanging. The preview also highlights the building's architectural evolution from a curvaceous amoeba-like form to a design with curved upper levels and rectilinear glass on the gallery level. With prominent figures like LACMA Director Michael Govan and Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Christopher Knight in attendance, the opening signals a new chapter for one of Los Angeles's most significant cultural institutions.