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06 Feb 2015
Opening date set for The Broad, Diller Scofidio + Renfro's contemporary art museum
By Katie Buckley
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The Broad under construction in Downtown LA
Photo: Iwan Baan
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The Broad, a new contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, US, is set to open to the public on 20 September 2015.
The US$140m (€123m, £91.6m) museum is being funded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, founders of the The Broad Art Foundation whose assets total US$2.6bn (€2.2bn, £1.7bn).
Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) in collaboration with Gensler, the museum has been dubbed “the veil and vault”, referring to it’s dual use as an exhibition space and an archive.
Currently under construction, the 120,000sq ft (11,148sq m) project will offer two floors of gallery space centered around the ‘vault’, the Broad Foundations’ archive. Whereas most galleries or museums aim to push their archives out of sight, The Broad’s design means that the archives play a key role in a visitor experience.
By incorporating the ‘vault’ into the design, an element of mystery is added into the mix when visiting the gallery; although visitors will be able to see the exhibitions on display, the intrigue of what’s in storage and just out of reach will add a new layer to the experience.
The galleries surrounding the vault will be clad in a honeycomb-style structure, made of concrete panels and steel, offering filtered natural light into the vast spaces. When a visitor enters the building, from either the north or south side, they will travel up a 105ft (32m) escalator to arrive at the third floor gallery, which features 318 skylights and high ceilings.
With construction well underway, the Broad Foundation is offering members of the public the chance to get a taste of what the museum will be like when complete. On the 15 February, an event will be hosted in the third floor gallery showing two temporary art installations for the day.
Externally, DS+R have also created a 24,000sq ft (2,230sq m) public plaza, blending the project into the surrounding cityscape and offering some much needed public space and pedestrianised areas for Downtown LA. |
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