At first glance, the architecture of the newly opened Broad Museum could be mistaken for an art piece in and of itself, and rightly so. It houses some of the most impressive postwar and contemporary art in the world, much of which is from their personal collection. Veteran art collectors Eli and Edythe Broad had a truly futuristic vision with their latest museum, which is situated in one of the hottest cultural areas of Los Angeles. Just steps away is the Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Coburn School of Music, The Ahmanson Theatre, The Geffen MOCA, Gallery Row, and the burgeoning Arts District.
Yet The Broad stands apart for its unique façade that echoes a porous, futuristic veil. Designed by renowned New York-based Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, who designed the High Line in New York and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the vision for the architecture of The Broad was to juxtapose the smooth surface of the Walt Disney Concert Hall with a unique, absorptive surface. Just outside the museum is the plaza where futuristic landscapes meld with a grove of 100-year old Barouni olive trees.
Once inside, the sheer scale of the museum is realized through a cylindrical glass capsule elevator that transports you through the vault, where the Broads’ permanent collection is stored. Further beyond the vault is the third floor gallery, where you’ll experience the magic the moment you step out of the capsule. Installations of works by Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Cy Twombly, are a sight to behold. Among the largest of the works are Takashi Murakami’s In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of the Rainbow, which measures 82 feet long, and Ellsworth Kelly’s Green Angle.
The Broad is an exemplary addition to an area that is being dubbed as the next art mecca in Los Angeles.
Reserve your complimentary tickets to The Broad.
