Get ready for a game-changer in the art world: Peter Zumthor’s revolutionary David Geffen Galleries are set to redefine LACMA—and how we experience art—when they open in April 2026. But here’s where it gets controversial: Zumthor’s fluid concrete masterpiece isn’t just a building; it’s a bold statement about Los Angeles’s place in global art history. And this is the part most people miss—it’s not just about the art inside; it’s about how the structure itself challenges traditional museum design. Let’s dive in.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is on the brink of unveiling its crown jewel—the David Geffen Galleries—on April 19, 2026. This marks the culmination of a two-decade-long transformation that has reshaped the museum’s campus. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, the galleries will serve as the primary home for LACMA’s permanent collection, offering 10,220 square meters of exhibition space within a striking 274-meter-long structure that dramatically spans Wilshire Boulevard. But what makes this building truly stand out? Its fluid concrete form, perched on elevated piers, doesn’t just house art—it redefines the museum’s presence in the city.
Access to the galleries is a journey in itself, with a network of floating staircases and elevators connecting both sides of Wilshire Boulevard. The north wing, named the Elaine Wynn Wing in honor of a $50 million donation, anchors the project, while the south wing awaits its future namesake. But here’s the twist: the inaugural installation ditches traditional organization by medium or chronology. Instead, it uses the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, along with the Mediterranean Sea, as its framework. This approach highlights themes of exchange, migration, and commerce, allowing works from diverse cultures and eras to coexist without hierarchical constraints. Think of it as a global art conversation, not a lecture. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 objects from LACMA’s collection will be on display at any given time, offering visitors a dynamic and ever-changing experience.
Now, let’s talk about the art itself. Forty-five curators have collaborated on the opening installation, curating works spanning 6,000 years of art history. Highlights include masterpieces like Georges de La Tour’s The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame (1640), Henri Matisse’s La Gerbe (1953), and Vincent van Gogh’s Tarascon Stagecoach (1888). But it’s not just about the classics—new commissions by artists like Todd Gray, Lauren Halsey, and Diana Thater expand the narrative, blending the historical with the contemporary. Is this approach too ambitious, or does it set a new standard for museum curation? We’ll let you decide.
On April 22, 2026, Zumthor himself will join LACMA CEO Michael Govan for a conversation on the East West Bank Commons as part of The Genesis Talks. Govan reflects, ‘We’re thrilled to be so close to completing this transformation, which wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our community. We can’t wait to share this reimagined experience with Angelenos and visitors from around the world.’
But the galleries are just the beginning. The project extends into 14,164 square meters of outdoor space integrated with Hancock Park. The plaza level will host public art installations and educational programs, featuring works by Mariana Castillo Deball, Pedro Reyes, and Shio Kusaka, among others. And yes, Jeff Koons’s Split-Rocker (2000), a living sculpture of plants and flowers, will make its grand return in the spring. Is this blending of indoor and outdoor art spaces a stroke of genius, or does it risk diluting the museum experience?
The reopening also brings back iconic works like Tony Smith’s Smoke (1967) and Alexander Calder’s Three Quintains (Hello Girls) (1964), originally commissioned for the Wilshire Boulevard site. A 743-square-meter garden along the north side of the boulevard will feature Auguste Rodin’s sculptures alongside works by Liz Glynn, creating a dialogue between the classical and the contemporary.
Amenities will open in phases, with the LACMA Store and Café debuting in April, followed by the W.M. Keck Education Center on May 3, 2026, during the NexGenLA celebration. This phased approach ensures that visitors can enjoy the museum while the final touches are completed.
The April 2026 opening caps a long-term expansion strategy that has nearly doubled LACMA’s exhibition space from 12,080 square meters in 2007 to approximately 20,440 square meters today. Earlier phases included the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (2008) and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion (2010), but the David Geffen Galleries are the pièce de résistance. Located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, LACMA remains the largest art museum in the western United States, with over 150,000 objects in its collection. But does size matter when it comes to art museums, or is it the quality of the experience that truly counts?
Zumthor’s design replaces four aging structures with a single, unified gallery space, repositioning LACMA both physically and conceptually. It frames Los Angeles not just as a site of display, but as a lens through which global art histories intersect. Is this a bold new vision for museums, or does it risk losing the intimacy of smaller, more focused galleries? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
As the highly anticipated building prepares for phased openings in summer 2025, one thing is clear: the David Geffen Galleries are more than just a new addition to LACMA—they’re a statement about the future of art, architecture, and cultural exchange. Will they live up to the hype? Only time will tell. What do you think—is this the future of museums, or a step too far?
