LACMA, Lost

The original LACMA campus, William Pereira & Accociates (1965)

I am very sad that more of the main buildings at the L.A. County Museum of Art will be demolished. Plans are to build a new LACMA campus with a bridge across Wilshire for more new buildings. It's great that the Museum is enlarging, but what about history? 

The original buildings at LACM, designed by William Pereira and Associates (1965) have a permanent look about them. They are solid, square and, at one time, floated on a moat of tranquility.

Calder Sculpture

The newer buildings at LACMA have obliterated much of the beautiful mid-century design by Wm. Pereira and Associates from the Wilshire Boulevard view, but the back of these iconic buildings are still evident.  Visitors can also walk in and around the Ahmanson, Hammer and Bing wings of LACMA and see their beautiful architectural lines. 

"Three Quintains" (Hello Girls), 1964 by Alexander Calder. Sheet metal and paint with motor

LACMA took away the beautiful water feature surrounding the buildings to add chunky stairs.  They plopped the Anderson Building up to the property line on Wilshire, destroying the gracious set-back.  True, the street light installation between the Anderson and the Resnick Plaza is wonderful.  The actual Plaza is excellent for large gatherings and parties.  With $650 million, can't the LACMA planning committee come up with a plan that does not tear down our treasured mid-20th century buildings?  This isn't Las Vegas where we blow up our buildings every ten years.

The Bing Theater

Bing Theater Lounge

What about the legacy of early donors?

You'd better hop over to the Museum soon before the Sculpture Garden and the original buildings, including the Bing Theater are gone. Sigh.

Color photographs by Larry Underhill