Rendering of LACMA's new David Geffen Gallery with two floors and a continuous window front on the upper floor above a busy street, with people in front of the building and a striped skyscraper in the background

iconic museum design for lacma’s new building

los angeles county museum of art: a fusion of steel, glass and brass

The new building for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), home to the David Geffen Galleries, showcases over 142,000 works of art, positioning itself as both a display space and a work of art in its own right. Designed by Atelier Peter Zumthor, this modern museum is defined by its organic curves, cantilevered roof and an innovative blend of concrete, glass and brass elements. seele played a key role in realising the steel mullion-transom façade for the new LACMA building, incorporating both straight and curved glass panels held in place with brass extrusions.
 

maximising daylight for lacma

LACMA’s new building has a continuous glass façade with insulating glass panels up to 8.3 m tall, allowing the exhibited artworks to be experienced in daylight. Large-format windows, specially treated for solar control, help protect the art inside while enhancing its visibility.

Façade type
Steel-and-glass design
Client
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Contractor
Clark Construction Group
Engineer
SOM
Architect
Atelier Peter Zumthor
Square concrete slab with a façade made of glass and brass profiles, covered by a rounded concrete roof, designed as a steel mullion and transom façade at LACMA new building
Construction work on the LACMA in Los Angeles, where the steel structure of the mullion-transom façade is currently being installed

façade adds stability in seismic zone

Because LACMA’s new building is located in a seismic zone, the steel mullion-transom façade was designed to withstand significant structural loads. The steel mullions are equipped with dampers at key points to absorb vibrations and reduce the impact of building movements, ensuring the stability of both the façade and the concrete slab overhead. Accordion-style seals at the top of the glazing allow the façade to move independently of the structure.
 

 

#madebyseele

Steel mullion-transom façade with straight and curved glazing — brass cladding — door systems

4,800 sqm
steel mullion-transom façade
4,264 sqm
façade with flat insulating glass panes
180 t
brass extrusions
16
door systems with brass profiles
further projects
Museum at the Gateway Arch with a detail of the round roof with steel cantilevers and individual panes of glass

museum at the gateway arch

st. louis, usa
Battersea Power Station with heritage windows in London is a listed, renovated red brick building with three light-coloured towers and a glass superstructure.

battersea power station

london, uk