In 2030, Tokyo-based art collective teamLab will open its first permanent US museum in Anaheim, California. The purpose-built, 110,000-square-foot institution will occupy OCVIBE, a new arts and entertainment district surrounding the Honda Center, and house an exhibition created exclusively for the space. Conceived around teamLab’s immersive practice, the museum will offer a new setting for the collective’s exploration of art, technology and human perception.
A borderless world, conceived for California
Founded in 2001 by Toshiyuki Inoko and Shunsuke Aoki, teamLab brings artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects under one roof. Its immersive environments combine digital imagery, light, sound and natural elements, responding to visitors’ presence and movements. Here, artworks are not confined to static images but exist as experiences shaped by those who enter them.
The Anaheim museum will extend this philosophy through an exhibition designed specifically for its architecture. Visitors will engage with the installations physically, becoming part of environments that evolve around their presence. As founder Toshiyuki Inoko explains, the collective explores perception and existence through art, questioning the boundaries between individuals, artworks and the surrounding world in what he calls a “borderless continuity”.
The opening marks another milestone in teamLab’s international growth, following its museum projects in Japan, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It will also establish a new destination for digital art in Southern California.
A shimmering exterior for a world without windows
Designed by Los Angeles studio Smith-Clementi, the museum responds to the technical demands of teamLab’s installations, whose galleries require carefully controlled darkness. Its largely windowless structure features a “shimmering cloak” façade, with a textured, scale-like surface inspired by nature.
Catching the sunlight at different angles, the façade subtly shifts in colour and appearance throughout the day. Julie Smith-Clementi describes the design as an invitation to imagination and discovery, offering a new impression with every visit. The sculptural exterior will also contrast with the glass architecture of neighbouring Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC).
The museum will occupy a prominent site within OCVIBE, a 100-acre arts and entertainment district. Its first phase is scheduled to open in March 2027 with a 5,000-capacity concert hall, followed by Katella Commons market hall, The Weave office building, restaurants and public art. The museum is expected to open in 2030, ahead of the district’s planned completion in 2033.
A rendering of TEAMLAB at OCVIBE in Anaheim
Courtesy of OCVIBE
