New LACMA Galleries Soar Over Los Angeles

Controversial $724 million David Geffen Galleries open after decade-long battle.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 9:04am

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After years of controversy and $724 million in construction costs, the new amoeba-shaped concrete home for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has opened to the public. Designed by renowned Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the massive three-football-field-long building hovers across Wilshire Boulevard, with curtains up, walls painted, and art inside.

Why it matters

The polarizing new Geffen Galleries building represents a bold architectural statement that aims to alter the cultural and civic identity of Los Angeles, reasserting the city's role as an experimental design hub. The project faced years of criticism, with some calling it 'the blob that ate Wilshire Boulevard,' but it is expected to be a major draw for visitors.

The details

The Geffen Galleries, named after the $150 million donor, is an amoeba-shaped concrete structure that spans three football fields in length across Wilshire Boulevard. Designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the building features a lyrical and pugnacious design that departs from Zumthor's previous modest-sized projects. After over a decade of battles and $724 million in construction costs, the museum is now open to members and will welcome the general public on May 4.

  • The new Geffen Galleries building opens to museum members in the coming weeks.
  • The Geffen Galleries will open to the general public on May 4, 2026.

The players

Peter Zumthor

A Swiss architect and winner of the Pritzker Prize, known for his modest-sized architectural gems like a spa in the Alps and a concrete field chapel in Germany. He designed the new Geffen Galleries building for LACMA.

David Geffen

The donor who gave $150 million towards the construction of the new LACMA galleries, which are named after him.

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What’s next

The new Geffen Galleries building is expected to be a major draw for visitors when it opens to the general public on May 4, 2026.

The takeaway

The polarizing new Geffen Galleries building represents a bold architectural statement that aims to redefine Los Angeles' cultural identity and cement the city's reputation as an experimental design hub, despite years of criticism over the project's massive $724 million price tag and unconventional design.