The Swiss architect Peter Zumthor's new $724 million building for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma), now called the David Geffen Galleries, has opened after nearly two decades of anticipation. The swooping concrete-and-glass structure is praised for its harnessing of natural light and horizontality, creating a stunning showcase for antiquities and inviting the city inside with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the La Brea Tar Pits and Wilshire Boulevard. The building performs best with sculpture and decorative objects, with standout works including Liz Glynn's "The Futility of Conquest" (2023) and Manjunath Kamath's "Vikatonarva" (2024).
This review matters because it assesses one of the most significant and expensive museum buildings in recent years, designed by a Pritzker Prize-winning architect for a major encyclopedic museum that has long struggled with collection gaps. The building's success or failure will influence how Lacma positions itself among global institutions and how museums approach architecture that connects to its urban context. The review also highlights how Zumthor's design prioritizes a sense of place and light over the traditional insular museum experience, potentially setting a new standard for museum architecture in Los Angeles.