221 South Grand Avenue Downtown, Los Angeles, CA 90012
OpenStreetMap (new tab)
Google Map (new tab)
Google Streetview (new tab)
The Broad occupied the southwest corner of West 2nd Street and South Grand Avenue.
Overview
Following a limited competition consisting of five international architectural firms, the New York-based partnership of Diller Scofidio + Renfro was awarded the commission by Los Angeles philanthropists, Eli and Edythe Broad. The modestly scaled, three-story museum housed the Broads' extensive personal collection of contemporary art, and it opened on 09/20/2015. The museum had an approximate budget of $140 million whose price was escalated by delays in designing and fabricating the building's elaborate steel facade.
Buidling History
The New York architectural firm of Diller Scofidio + Renfro collaborated on the design of the $140 million museum with the New York structural engineers Leslie E. Robertson Associates and the landscape architecture firm of Hood Studio of Oakland, CA. Design occurred during 2010 and 2011, with construction completed between between 2012 and 2015.
In 06/2014, Broad sued the German structural engineering company, Seele, Incorporated, for $19.8 million, contending that it did not adhere to a " ...contractual deadline [of 10/25/2013] for designing, fabricating and installing the facade, which caused a domino effect that pushed back the timetable for other aspects of the project." (See Mike Boehm, "The Broad Collection sues engineering firm," Los Angeles Times, 06/04/2014, p. D11.) Broad sought damages from Seele and its insurers, the Zurich American Insurance Company and Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland. Seele had difficulty in realizing the architect's original vision of producing a facade composed of precast concrete. Rather, it proposed a simpler facade of 2,500 fiberglass reinforced concrete panels and 650 tons of supporting steel as an alternative. (See Benjamin cross, LA Curbed.com,"The Broad Museum Reveals Its Newly Disappointing Facade," published 12/31/2014, accessed 05/29/2019.) Seele was to be paid $29.3 million for its facade work, although its final costs came in at $34.8 million. In 10/2015, the German company sued Broad, seeking to foreclose on the museum unless it were paid $6.9 million in unpaid fees. (See Sarah Gascone, Artnetnews.com, "German Engineering Company Seele Inc. Files $6.9 Million Suit Against Eli Broad," published 10/23/2015, accessed 05/29/2015.)
Building Notes
Tillotson Design Associates won a Commendable Achievement Award, Whole Buildings category,in the A-L Light + Architecture Design Awards, 2016.
