The Broad and the architecture of visible storage
Published on 09/24/2026 at 11:22 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Broad is a contemporary art museum on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Its white outer shell surrounds a visible central vault, making the building’s collection storage part of its architectural identity.
The Broad’s white veil on Grand Avenue
Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro with Gensler, The Broad opened to the public on 20 September 2015. The building occupies 120,000 square feet and contains two floors of gallery space. The Broad’s architectural profile is formed by a porous exterior structure known as the veil.
The veil is made from glass-fibre-reinforced concrete panels and steel. Its honeycomb-like surface covers the upper gallery level, while openings at street level mark the entrances. The pale exterior faces Grand Avenue beside Walt Disney Concert Hall and near the Museum of Contemporary Art.
A museum built around its collection vault
The Broad’s interior is organised around the relationship between public galleries and collection storage. The heavy vault occupies the middle of the building, with gallery areas above and below it. Viewing windows reveal parts of the storage area without turning the museum into a warehouse.
The collection belongs to Eli and Edythe Broad and includes more than 2,000 works by nearly 200 artists. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, Barbara Kruger, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Ed Ruscha are among the artists represented. The contemporary art collection covers postwar and contemporary practice across painting, sculpture, photography and installation.
From Grand Avenue into the galleries
The public route begins beneath the veil and continues through the building’s large lobby. An escalator rises through the vault towards the upper gallery level, linking the street-facing entrance with the exhibition spaces.
The upper galleries provide broad, column-free rooms for changing displays from the Broad collection. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room is among the museum’s recognised installations, while paintings, photographs and sculptures occupy the surrounding galleries. The adjacent public plaza extends south of the museum and includes an open lawn and mature Barouni olive trees.
Visiting The Broad: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Broad is at 221 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, on Bunker Hill. Metro A and E trains serve Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill Station.
- The museum stands beside Walt Disney Concert Hall and across Grand Avenue from the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Colburn School is also part of this cultural district.
- The building’s route includes an escalator through the central vault. Gallery floors contain large open rooms, while the street-level plaza provides outdoor space beside Grand Avenue.
- The official language is English and the currency is the US dollar.
Searching for The Broad on social platforms
These links open searches for The Broad on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about The Broad
Where is The Broad?
The Broad is at 221 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, on Bunker Hill. It is beside Walt Disney Concert Hall and near the Museum of Contemporary Art.
What can visitors expect inside?
Visitors encounter contemporary paintings, sculptures, photographs and installations across two gallery floors. The interior also includes views towards the central collection vault.
What makes The Broad distinctive?
The museum combines a porous white veil with a visible storage vault. Its architecture and its collection are presented as connected parts of the same building.
