An architectural gem for Orange County
The new OCMA will be a work of art inside and out.
In September 2019, OCMA broke ground on its permanent home at Segerstrom Center for the Arts that is slated to open in late 2022. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Studio, the state-of-the-art 53,000 square foot building is double the size of the museum’s former location in Newport Beach. Moving to the region’s premier cultural campus in Costa Mesa will provide OCMA with a central location, expanded gallery space, and inviting public areas, further enabling the museum to engage the public through art.
With 25,000 square feet dedicated to galleries, OCMA will be able to simultaneously showcase its collection and major traveling exhibitions. Additionally, a sculptural wing hovering over the lobby atrium creates a prominent location for the 10,000 square foot education center that can be configured as a black-box theater or a light-filled studio.
Beyond its functionality, the building is exceptionally community-oriented. Large sets of public stairs and a roof terrace are central features that connect OCMA to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and its Julia and George Argyros Plaza and serve as communal hubs for gathering. A distinctive façade of undulating bands of terracotta panels wrap the exterior and continue inside the museum beckoning visitors to enter.
Spatial Breakdown of the New Building
53,000 ft²
Overall Space
25,000 ft²
Dedicated Exhibitions
10,000 ft²
Multipurpose Space
Segerstrom Center for the Arts will provide an immersive cultural, artistic and architectural experience unlike any other in the country—right here in the heart of Southern California.
Track Our Progress
Thom Mayne
Founder of Morphosis Co-founder of Sci-Arc
Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne is the founder of the influential studio Morphosis and co-founder of the prestigious Southern California Institute of Architecture. For more than 40 years, Morphosis has practiced at the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and design. With a team of more than 60 in Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai and Seoul, Morphosis focuses on rigorous research and innovation, prioritizing performance-driven design that is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable.