Guess? Brothers Turning LA Landmark into Private Art Museum

Maurice and Paul Marciano have already purchased LA mainstay Wally’s Wine & Spirits, and now they’ve purchased yet another Los Angeles institution.

The Guess? founders have bought the stunning Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Park Mile for the sum of $8 million.

But the gentlemen don’t plan on praying at the temple. Instead, it will become a private art museum for their person collections.

According to the LA Times, Angelenos will still get to sneak a peek at the space, as “occasional exhibitions [will be] open to the public.”

The temple was designed by artist Millard Sheets, known for his mosaic and stained glass Home Savings bank buildings.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Marcianos would buy an iconic landmark in the name of art: Maurice rejoined the board of trustees of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art in October and was recently named one of the world’s top 200 active art collectors by Artnews magazine; he has also donated or promised three works to MOCA including a sculpture by Sterling Ruby and paintings by Wade Guyton and Tauba Auerbach.

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