Artlog

Originally a hardware store turned city warehouse and service garage, The Geffen Contemporary facility in Little Tokyo presented architect Frank O. Gehry with an unusual challenge: to convert its anonymous exterior and industrial interior into museum galleries.

Gehry’s subtle and stunning renovation retained many elements that reveal the building’s roots. An original coat of paint on the exterior is still barely visible. The original, massive overhead doors are still functional, allowing the museum to open almost its entire facade to the public. A chain-link canopy that marks the entrance and defines a courtyard spans the dead-end street in front of the building, providing an imposing and industrial gateway. The interior, comprising the original skeleton of steel columns, trusses, beams, skylights, and clerestory windows, is vast yet suitable for exhibiting all types of contemporary art.

The Temporary Contemporary opened in September 1983 as MOCA’s temporary exhibition space while the Arata Isozaki-designed building at California Plaza was under construction. The facility became so popular, however, that MOCA’s Board of Trustees voted to continue its operation.

In 1995 MOCA received a $5-million gift from The David Geffen Foundation. In recognition of this gift, the museum’s second location, formerly known as MOCA at the Temporary Contemporary, was renamed The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Founded in 1979, MOCA is the only museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to contemporary art. It is committed to the collection, presentation, and interpretation of work produced since 1940 in all media, and to preserving that work for future generations. In a remarkably short time, MOCA has developed one of the nation’s most renowned permanent collections. Now numbering over 5,000 works and steadily growing, this invaluable cultural resource provides extensive opportunities for education and enjoyment to thousands of national and international visitors. Today the museum is housed in three unique facilities: MOCA Grand Avenue, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, and MOCA Pacific Design Center