RE(IN)NOVATING LACMA

L.A. US | 2020  |  LACMA Not LackMA Idea Competition

We propose to extend and amplify LACMA’s eastwest axis, as established by the Renzo Piano and OMA schemes, eastward through the museum’s original buildings and elevated plaza, establishing a singular thoroughfare that runs through the entire campus and bridges the entirety of its collection. Acknowledging the success of the OMA addition as a catalyst for urban activity, we seek to extend that energy through the Ahmanson building and upwards onto the campus’ elevated plaza, which will help revitalize LACMA’s eastern group of buildings and allow visitors from Los Angeles and beyond to discover and rediscover the strength of its permanent collection. As we propose

opening LACMA’s elevated plaza to the west, we simultaneously propose opening it up to Wilshire Boulevard by means of a new, major entrance stair and by replacing the existing Anderson Building with a more open and inviting architecture. The result is not only new, lively gallery spaces, but more importantly a coherent, retroactive masterplan for LACMA that builds off the campus’ prior successes and seeks to engage and reinvigorate the full breadth of its collection.