The construction of the new Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, designed by Belzberg Architects, is an important step forward in the ongoing discourse of architecture, combining a challenge to the typical design approaches used in similarly related projects with a commitment to sustainable building strategies. On many levels, the Museum showcases how cultural institutions in the future can better integrate themselves as urban icons beyond the content they house, extending their reach as institutions and enhancing these interactions with the city they exist in. Nevertheless, the Museum's ability to draw on its urban park context to better illustrate the difficult content of the Holocaust is key to its success. The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is a journey through emotion and sensation. The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, the oldest museum dedicated to the Holocaust in the United States, recently opened its newly designed building to the public. Designed by award-winning architect Hagy Belzberg, the reader will explore the history, conceptual development, process, and viewer experience through this provocative and moving visual journey. This book contains text by acclaimed architectural writer Michael Webb with principal photography by world renowned architectural photographers Iwan Bann and Benny Chan. The Belzberg Architects designed Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is one of the largest intensive green roofs in California and has been awarded LEED Gold Certification for excellence in sustainability. As recent winners of the 2011 Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission Architecture Award, American Institute of Architects Los Angeles Design Award, American Institute of Architects California Council Design Award, Interior Design Magazine Best of the Year Award: Institutional, and Architect Magazine Annual Design Review Award, this new cultural landmark showcases a successful merger of "green" design practices with iconic architecture. AUTHOR: Hagy Belzberg, FAIA, is the architect and principal of Belzberg Architects, designer of the new Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. Belzberg Architects' innovative approach, commitment to sustainability, and community integration has been highly acclaimed earning the Museum various esteemed accolades and awards. Michael Webb grew up in London, moved to Los Angeles, and writes on architecture and design. He is the author of twenty-six books, most recently Modernist Paradise: Niemeyer House, Boyd Collection and Venice CA.: Art + Architecture in a Maverick Community. Randy Schoenberg is president of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. He specializes in cases involving looted art and the recovery of property stolen by the Nazi authorities during the Holocaust. Additionally, he is also an author of two books on genealogy. Mark Rothman is currently in his third year as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust. In addition to managing the Museums daily operations, Mark played a critical role in all aspects of the construction of the new museum. ILLUSTRATIONS: 80 photographs
