Hey, LACMA isn't the only museum in town celebrating an opening. Next week marks the grand opening of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOH). Designed by Santa Monica-based firm Belzberg Architects, the roughly 15,000 square foot museum is opening in Pan Pacific Park (that's the park near the Grove that you rarely set foot in). What's notable is that the building is partially carved into the side of a hill in the park, explains Brock DeSmit, a project manager and associate at Belzberg Architects. A green roof caps the top of the museum, which "rises from the landscape, but also continues the landscape of the park," according to DeSmit.
Founded in 1961, the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMH) bills itself as the oldest Holocaust museum in the United States. The museum has moved at least four times since its inception, according to a recent Jewish Journal magazine story. This new space is right next to the existing Holocaust Memorial.
According to DeSmit, the building hold galleries, archive spaces, and museum offices, among other things. There's also an underground parking garage. Prior to completion, the design received the Los Angles Cultural Affairs Commission Design Honor Award and the Los Angeles Business Council Green Building Design Award.
Meanwhile, another recent Jewish Journal article looks at different architectural approaches to erecting Holocaust museums.
All photos via Belzberg Architects
· A new Holocaust museum pushes toward the future [Jewish Journal]
· Holocaust museums: L.A. and the rest of the world [JJ]
Loading comments...