Zumthor earns his L.A. stripes

Christopher Hawthorne | Punch List | 17th April 2026

The new LACMA building was once called “suicide by architecture”. Now, after 20 years of work – and $724m – it is open. Despite fatigue from those years of controversy, reactions are unexpectedly positive. Yes, the concretework is imperfect. Bold artworks look great but smaller works can seem overwhelmed. Nonetheless, it is a fresh approach to the relationship between architecture and the display of artwork. “I can’t think of another museum building that operates quite this way.”