07-13-2026, 09:02 AM
(07-11-2026, 07:34 PM)Gone in 60 Wrote: I have been watching, with great interest, the progress of the L.A. Museum of Art (LACMA). It's located across the street and one over from the Academy Arts Museum from the Petersen. We've always enjoyed strolling through LACMA, but it lacked architectural cohesiveness, and was knocked down a few years ago for the construction of a new museum. The initial renderings made it look like a big glass burrito (maybe a chalupa) that would extend from the North side of Wilshire Blvd. to the South, arcing over the street.
When the construction started, I saw that it was going to be less like a burrito, and more like a sandwich. A concrete and glass sandwich. I was skeptical...
Not that I'm an architecture snob, but I like what I like. I'm a fan of the Disney Music Hall, an aluminum bucket that melted in the sun. Not so much the Broad Modern Art Museum, a big white Lexus grille. But, now that LACMA is complete and open, I have eaten my words of contempt and am a huge fan. I got to the Petersen early this morning, so I took some time to cruise around the street views of LACMA to take it in. Adjacent to the museum to the Southeast is a bizarre flowery art installation that's a dinosaur/horse thingee by Jeff Koons. Looks pretty cool, but if I were on peyote I'm sure it would be even more so.
I'm digging the place and am looking forward to checking it out from the inside.
As I was looking at the North side of the building, I caught a reflection of the Petersen Museum in the glass. Now that's kind of cool.
Hey Gone, I was at Petersen last year while visiting my son and I paid extra for the vault access. Wow! so many cool cars there!
And yes, I did have a pickle with my Pastrami sandwich at Canters! Also stopped by The Apple Pan too! Part of my visit was to see the Honda Collection Hall in Torrance. Have you been by? It's free. Be well. Russ