A new architectural and cultural landmark is preparing to officially open in Downtown LA in just over two weeks, as final preparation work wraps up on philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad's namesake museum on Grand Avenue. Over 2,000 works will be installed in the 120,000-square-foot, $140 million Broad Museum, which features an innovative “veil-and-vault” design by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

The Broad Museum pictured May 2015, image by Jack Landau

The repetitive porous pattern of the building's exterior structural exoskeleton facade, consisting of approximately 2,500 rhomboidal fibreglass-reinforced concrete panels, stands in contrast to the smooth, stainless steel exterior of the deconstructivist Walt Disney Concert Hall, located next door on Grand Avenue. 

The Broad Museum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Grand Avenue, image by Jack Landau

The building's complex design, while quite pleasing to the eye, did cause some hiccups during construction. Seele Inc., the contractor responsible for the design and fabrication of the museum's exterior veil, was sued by the developers of the project back in May for cost overruns and delays associated with the facade. The developer and Seele Inc. have since made an agreement to address the dispute only once the project has been completed.

The Broad Museum's Grand Avenue-fronting facade, image by Jack Landau

With exhibits arriving and finishing touches almost complete, The Broad Museum has announced an opening date of Sunday, September 20th, and the project's website has launched a ticker counting down to the big day. 

Additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase listing for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Visit the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.