LACMA has announced that its David Geffen Galleries, the centerpiece of a two-decade campus transformation, will open to the public on April 19, 2025, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and priority member access, followed by general admission starting May 4. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the $720-million Brutalist building spans Wilshire Boulevard and houses 110,000 square feet of exhibition space across 90 galleries, organized thematically rather than by medium or chronology. The inaugural installation will use global bodies of water as an organizing framework, featuring works such as Georges de La Tour's "The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame," Vincent van Gogh's "Tarascon Stagecoach," and Henri Matisse's "La Gerbe." The project was funded largely by private donors, including a record $150-million donation from David Geffen, with $125 million from L.A. County.
This opening marks a pivotal moment for LACMA, resolving years of controversy over the building's polarizing Brutalist design and concerns about its gallery space, which is not larger than its predecessors but is complemented by earlier additions like the Broad Contemporary Art Museum and the Resnick Exhibition Pavilion. The new galleries aim to make LACMA's eclectic permanent collection—approximately 170,000 objects—more accessible on a single, extra-long floor, encouraging visitors to wander freely. The announcement also highlights ongoing leadership changes, with Tony Ressler and Willow Bay named as board co-chairs, signaling a new chapter for the museum as it completes its long-awaited campus overhaul.