When the most recent wave of images of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) redesign came out, no one really seemed enthusiastic about them. That's unfortunate, because plans for the redesign could totally alter the museum, replacing four existing buildings on the museum's campus with one building that would cross over Wilshire Boulevard.
But if the renderings didn’t immediately win the hearts of Angelenos, it’s probably because they failed to excite even the architect responsible for the design.
Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor told CLADnews that the previously released renderings were "commercial-looking" and were only created for a state-mandated environmental review of the project. Now, he’s hard at work creating fresh images of the new LACMA building that will better illustrate his plans for the structure.
"They were conventional renderings, which I personally don't like so much," he explained, adding that his studio is currently working on photos taken from models which are prepared especially for the purpose. "The models allow us to take pictures with natural daylight, the light of the sun, which makes a lot of difference," he said. "These will explain the building better."
Zumthor famously loathes renderings, and perhaps this situation with LACMA explains why.
The new building is scheduled to open in 2023—the same year the Purple Line extension to Wilshire and Fairfax is also expected to be open.
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