Designed by Belzberg Architects, the new building for the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH) strays away from any direct architectural representation, instead focusing on a sensitive design that integrates the structure into its surroundings. Literally: The architects wrapped the natural landscape and topography of an adjacent park right over the building.

Submerged into the landscape, the museum emerges “as a single, curving concrete wall that splits and carves into the ground to form the entry.” Click through for more details and images.

As with pretty much any new civic project, the LAMOTH building is striving to reach LEED Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council.

“Because the building is partially submerged beneath the grassy, park landscape, entry to the building entails a gradual deterioration of this visual and auditory connection to the park while descending a long ramp. Upon entering, visitors experience the culmination of their transition from a playful and unrestrained, public park atmosphere to a series of isolated spaces saturated with photographic archival imagery.”

The interiors are a marvel unto themselves — smooth concrete is wrapped and punched through with rounded shapes:

To learn more about LAMOTH visit the Architizer project page here, and for more on Belzberg Architects visit their Architizer profile here.

by Nicholas Solakian

posted in editor's pick

tagged Belzberg, editor's pick, green roof, la, LAMOTH, Los angeles

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