"It has long been our goal to ensure that the contemporary artworks in the Broad collections are seen by the broadest possible public," billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad said in a statement. "We believe that free general admission to The Broad will help draw visitors to all of the cultural institutions along Grand Avenue."
Broad donned a hard hat Tuesday to give a behind-the-scenes tour of his new museum, though doors won't open for over a year.
"There'll be no building like this in America," Broad said.
Artists' animation of the Broad Museum's veiled exterior shows how it is the complimentary opposite of the Walt Disney Concert Hall next door on Grand Avenue, though the 120,000-square-foot museum is much smaller.
The Broad is a unique design to house the 2,000 works of contemporary art in the Broad personal collection and art foundation -- a collection still growing, so more exhibit space was carved out.
"We had planned for this to be storage, but we couldn't resist the opportunity to make it into additional space available to the public," said director and chief curator Joanne Heyler.
Construction did not stop during the preview tour. But this stage in construction shows off what the architects mean by a vault and veil concept. Visitors will be able to see the artwork stored in the second floor vault. The third floor is a full acre of space, uninterrupted by pillars.
It's a museum made of steel, glass and concrete at a cost of $140 million from Eli and Edythe Broad.
"Eli Broad and Edythe Broad have invested in this city and put their money where their mouth is. They put their belief in this city at a time when a lot of people who are very successful go and spend that money on other places," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
A public project this big may not have gotten this far without Broad's determination.
"Well, it took a lot of determination and will to get it done, but here we are," said Broad.
