It was a big milestone in the expansion of the Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles as construction workers bolted the final beam into place on Wednesday.
It was called the “topping out” ceremony, where visitors and guests signed the beam, and then the giant crane lifted the piece into place, and crew members bolted it into place. Crews can then begin enclosing the new space, which will add 70 percent capacity to the museum
John Szabo, the City Librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, wad among those who signed the beam.
“It’s such a wonderful thing for downtown Los Angeles and for all of L.A. and Southern California, and what an asset for Los Angeles,” he said.
Steve Matt of MATT Construction said the pieces all fit together.
“You see the intersection of art, architecture, and craft,” he said. “It's not quite done. It started because of art. But it can only be done because of great architecture.”
The expansion will give the museum much more room to spread out and display the permanent collection. Museum officials say it will be done before the launch of the 2028 Olympic Games.
Councilmember Ysabel Jurado called the museum a “major investment in downtown L.A.”
“We're going to add some razzle-dazzle for the Olympics with the expansion open, our Convention Center open, and it will just be a resounding victory for and symbol of the city of Los Angeles,” she said.
The plan is to keep the museum open during the expansion project.
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