Walt Disney Company Piazza

Visitors arriving from 6th Street, Fairfax Avenue, and LACMA enter the museum through the dramatic Walt Disney Company Piazza, where they may pass beneath the Renzo Piano designed sphere building―a 26-million-pound structure made of concrete, glass, and steel, that is balanced atop four concrete plinths fitted with base isolators that serve as a sophisticated earthquake retrofitting system. The piazza is enlivened with landscaping designed by artist Robert Irwin and features dwarf southern magnolia trees and karo shrubs, California fan palms, vinca minor, Mexican fan palms, and jacaranda trees. During the day, the piazza is an active public space; in the evening, it can transform into an ideal event space for red-carpet arrivals and outdoor private receptions.