Downtown Los Angeles has another stunning new landmark, The Broad, a museum as contemporary and daring as the art within its distinctive honeycomb- like exterior.
The Broad is a $140 million showcase for philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. Visitors can reserve or wait in line for free admission to the permanent collection, which includes art world luminaries such as Jasper Johns, Cindy Sherman, Ed Ruscha, Jean- Michel Basquiat and Robert Rauschenberg.
The Broad opened on September 20, a visual counterpoint to Frank Gehry’s sleek Walt Disney Concert Hall, which sits across the street. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the museum’s veil surrounds a storage vault and allows natural light to filter through two floors of galleries.
Though the space seems destined to stage celebrations, catering is not allowed anywhere within The Broad, which also doesn’t allow private parties. However, other nearby options allow for elegant celebrations.
Otium, the new contemporary restaurant next to the museum, will cater plaza events for 150 guests seated or 250 standing, says Devry Juthans, Otium’s special events director. Otium, which offers lunch and brunch, and later this winter, dinner, is itself available for full buyouts, accommodating 200 guests seated or 300 standing. Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, a former chef de cuisine at The French Laundry in Napa Valley and chefowner of LA’s Barrel & Ashes, takes on his first solo project at Otium, where his menu combines rustic cooking and inspired technique with seasonal and sometimes eclectic ingredients.
Self-guided tours are available for groups up to 200 if they book an event at Otium. To visit the museum only, make a reservation at least two weeks in advance for a self-guided group visit with 10 people or more. Reserved groups skip the ticket line and receive expedited check-in and assistance from a visitor services associate. Cost: $5 per person with a 10-person minimum.
