LACMA Unveils Audacious $724 Million David Geffen Galleries to Public

LACMA completes its $724 million transformation with the Peter Zumthor-designed Geffen Galleries, replacing traditional art history with a fluid, water-themed layout.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 4:34 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The New York Times

A Two-Decade Vision Realized

After twenty years of planning, fundraising, and construction, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is ready to debut the David Geffen Galleries. The project, led by director Michael Govan and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, represents a $724 million investment in the future of the American cultural landscape. Spanning Wilshire Boulevard with a distinct, curvilinear "amoeba" shape, the structure is designed to anchor a new subway stop and redefine the museum experience for a 21st-century audience.

Reinventing the Encyclopedic Museum

The new building is more than a physical expansion; it is a conceptual overhaul of how art is presented. LACMA has moved away from the standard organizational pillars of chronology, geography, and medium. Instead of separate wings for paintings or sculpture, the galleries are organized around the concept of "bodies of water." This thematic approach—focusing on the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans—allows different cultures and eras to flow into one another, reflecting a more interconnected view of human history.

Overcoming Development Hurdles

The road to completion was marked by significant challenges, including the discovery of prehistoric fossils during excavation and the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding the $724 million project was equally difficult, requiring a massive philanthropic effort in a city often seen as cool to cultural fundraising. Despite criticism of the building’s scale and unconventional design, art world leaders, including MoMA director Glenn D. Lowry, have hailed it as one of the most significant museum buildings completed in the last twenty-five years.