The Broad

The Broad, founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, opened its doors in September 2015 as a cornerstone of downtown Los Angeles's cultural revival. Designed by the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Gensler, the building is a masterpiece of the 'veil and vault' concept. This design features a porous honeycomb-like exterior, the veil, which wraps around the central storage core, the vault, making the museum's inner workings visible to the public while providing filtered natural light to the galleries. The museum serves as the permanent home for the Broads' extraordinary collection of postwar and contemporary art, which they spent over five decades assembling. With over 2,000 works by more than 200 artists, the collection includes definitive pieces by giants of the art world such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Kara Walker. The institution was established with the specific mission of making contemporary art accessible to the widest possible audience, which is why general admission has remained free since its inauguration. Beyond its physical walls, The Broad has acted as a catalyst for the transformation of Grand Avenue into a premier cultural corridor. By offering a rotating series of exhibitions and public programs, it continuously engages with the evolving narrative of modern art. The building's unique experience, including a 105-foot escalator that transports visitors through the vault and into the sky-lit third-floor galleries, creates a seamless journey that bridges the gap between the storage of art and its public display.