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Renzo Piano-Designed Museum to Open in Los Angeles

The museum will house art from 1945 to the present.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 12/13/2007 12:00:00 AM

In February 2008, a new destination for modern art will debut in Los Angeles, in a building designed by internationally renowned architect Renzo Piano, founder of Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The first phase of a major expansion initiated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) is billed as the largest column-free showcase of art in the United States.

The three-story building's Italian travertine facade will meld with existing buildings on the 20-acre campus. Art from 1945 to the present will be showcased over 60,000 square feet of exhibition space. Six loft-like exhibition spaces, each measuring over 8,300 square feet, will be housed in two symmetrical wings that embrace a central core. Constructed mainly of glass, the core contains a glass-fronted elevator. Visitors will also have the option of taking a fire engine red escalator--both lead to the main entrance, located on the third floor.

Artists represented include Richard Serra, Chris Burden, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Jasper Johns, and Robert Rauschenberg.

"The creation of BCAM greatly expands LACMA's contemporary art program, both enriching our historical collections and placing us in a leadership position in the area of contemporary art among encyclopedic museums," says LACMA director Michael Govan.

The project is funded by a $60 million donation from Eli and Edythe Broad, including $50 million to the museum's capital campaign and $10 million for an acquisition fund.

Image courtesy of BCAM.