LACMA's "Black Flower" by Architect Peter Zumthor May Be Just What L.A. Needs

The city is losing its reputation for forward thinking architecture.

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Complex Original

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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is planning an ambitious new renovation that is sure to have architectural communities talking. The art institution, headed by Museum Director Michael Govan, plans on going with a design by 70-year-old Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. With its flat shape and various wings jutting out from its center, it looks like a giant amoeba. Look above, you'll see it too.

People will be able to see the nuances of the design when the museum holds its exhibition The Presence of the Past: Peter Zumthor Reconsiders LACMA on June 9. But despite the incredibly unorthodox nature of the design, it is something that many people in L.A. will welcome with open arms. You see, the city is known for innovative architecture, however it hasn't produced anything noteworthy in recent years. The new structure, named The Black Flower, would help maintain the city's legacy.

LACMA's building is far from being done, even after the past five years designers have spent conceptualizing it. And if planning it wasn't difficult enough, the institution also needs to raise $650 million for it--$450 million for its construction and the rest for a contingency fund and other uses. However once it is built, it is estimated that the institution will save $5 million each year to operate.

Zumor's building is interesting. It doesn't have a main entrance or central staircase. However it does have 170,000 to 200,000 square feet of exhibition space, which is at least an additional 45,000 square feet in comparison to the building being replaced. The building has promise, but it is likely that construction still will take years to actually happen.

[viaLATimes]

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