LACMA Unveils Renovation Renderings by a Pritzker Prize–Winning Architect

Originally built in 1961, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is one of the must-see museums in the U.S. Located along Wilshire Boulevard—a major road that cuts through L.A. from east to west—LACMA is adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits, a park where natural asphalt has seeped up through the ground for thousands of years. This is relevant because the original renderings for LACMA's redesign were of a black and slick exterior, made to look very similar to the nearby tar pits. Yet, as of today, it appears that LACMA is scrapping this plan for something a bit more traditional.

A rendering of the old design, which included a black exterior that was meant to appear like the nearby tar pits.

Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor has just unveiled his newest vision for a $600 million redesign for LACMA. The plan will appear less like a tar pit and more like an S-shaped concrete building that twists around preexisting buildings. Forgoing the bold black exterior, Zumthor is now opting for a monolithic structure that features a beige-color interior and exterior.

A peak inside the newly unveiled LACMA renovation.

Not only will the new building span Wilshire Boulevard, but since it is raised, the museum will cross the road, providing commuters the experience of driving through the structure. Zumthor's new building will mean that four buildings—including three 1960s-era structures designed by prolific American architect William Pereira—will be leveled for the redesign. Demolition could begin as soon as 2018, pending an environmental review.