As early as 2001, LACMA’s board and the county came to the same conclusion: LACMA had to be rebuilt. Interestingly, architect Rem Koolhaas’ proposal, unveiled that year, shared elements with the Zumthor design — in particular a large single floorplate for the museum’s permanent collection, making its display open and easy to navigate. The Koolhaas design failed for two reasons: It proved too difficult to raise money, and no one wanted to close LACMA for five years to rebuild. Eighty-five percent of the $650-million budget for the Zumthor building has been raised, primarily from private donors. And with the Piano additions in place, LACMA can remain open, with 100,000 square feet of gallery space, during construction of the new building.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 07, 2019 10:18 UTC