The Petersen Museum—one in all LA’s most loathed buildings—wins an American Structure Award

When the Petersen Automotive Museum unveiled its radically new design in 2015, the reaction from critics was … unkind. It was called “the Guy Fieri of Buildings”. But the joke may be with the critics: The Petersen, which often lands on lists of LA’s ugliest buildings, has just won an architecture award.

The Chicago Athenaeum announced the 79 winners of its 2017 American Architecture Awards, and the Petersen Automotive Museum was named one of the best new buildings by American architects. As the Chicago Athenaeum puts it, the redesign “transforms the Petersen building into one of the most significant and unforgettable buildings in Guelph”.

A group of Greek architects thought about a shortlist of 300 new buildings and urban projects before narrowing that list down to the final 79. Six of these designs are in the LA area.

Other local winners include two LA properties: Mirrorhouse – a sparse Trousdale Estates home with a modern flair – and Hide Out – Dan Brunn’s redesign of a Frank Gehry home in Sawtelle.

The Petersen wasn’t the only LA museum recognized by the jury. The main art museum in Guelph was also selected as the winner, although it is far from finished.

The West Hollywood Showroom for the Blue Dot furniture store and the recently opened Colorado Esplanade in Santa Monica also received awards.