Zumthor Overpass Rises

Won't the underside of Zumthor-LACMA be dark, like a freeway overpass? Skeptics have asked that question since Peter Zumthor proposed a new permanent collection building spanning Wilshire. You can now start to get a sense of the street-level ground truth. 

Construction workers have recently put up steel falsework to support construction of the concrete overpass. LACMA says the falsework is "approximately 3 to 4 feet lower than the building will be." The falsework currently covers the south half of Wilshire and will be followed by a second phase on the north side. All the steel will be removed after the overpass is in place. 

The underside of the building—to be called the David Geffen Galleries—will thus be a few feet higher and lighter colored than the falsework; but continuous and spanning all of Wilshire.

The overall effect (now) is more pergola than overpass. I'm reminded of the space under Jersey shore boardwalks, deep shadow with blaring sunlight from the sides.

Interstate highways require a vertical clearance of 16 ft. The Zumthor project's 2019 Environmental Impact Report said the underside of the structure would be 19 to 23 feet above street level, reflecting a slight incline. That implies the building would be higher than a typical highway overpass, though not dramatically so.