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Los Angeles is getting a new contemporary art museum next year, and Wednesday Mayor Eric Garcetti joined its founders, Eli and Edythe Broad, for a hard hat tour of the construction.
One big announcement was that the inaugural exhibition and permanent collection of 2,000 pieces of contemporary art at the Broad Museum will be open to the public at no charge. Future special events will be ticketed, and discounts will be available to members of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).
The Broads are "providing at least $395 million to build and endow" their namesake museum, notes the L.A. Times.
Once the giant Honeycomb on Bunker Hill opens in late 2014, visitors to the museum can visit the third-floor gallery that will be home to the Broad collections of artwork from the 1950s to the present, displayed in a column-free space. Downstairs, the first floor will showcase special exhibitions, to offer a total of over 50,000 square feet of gallery space.
Of special note is the consideration to lighting, chiefly the use of skylights to draw in sunlight that will be filtered and diffused in order to offer prime lighting for viewing that does not damage the art. Once daylight fades, lighting inside the museum will automatically turn on to match the ideal brightness for checking out the artwork. Although the second floor will be a pass-through for visitors, glass walls will allow them to glimpse at artwork in storage that may soon end up on view in the galleries.
One significant consideration is the parking garage, which will have three stories underground the museum.
The design for the Broad was unveiled back in early 2011, several months after the Grand Avenue location was confirmed. Prior to selecting DTLA, the Broads were rumored to have considered Beverly Hills and Santa Monica for their mecca of modern art.
Previously:
Broad Reveals Plans for Giant Honeycomb on Bunker Hill
Broad Strokes: Unveiling The Design For A New Art Museum
Downtown L.A. is Getting a New Museum: Eli Broad Confirms Grand Avenue Location
Bye Bye Beverly Hills: Broad Foundation Eyes SaMo for Museum
