Museum of Tolerance, Claudia and Nelson Peltz Social Lab

Established in 1993, the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles is the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) – a Jewish human rights organization that is renowned internationally. The only museum of its kind in the world, the MOT is visited by over 250,000 people of all ages each year. Through interactive exhibits, special events, and customized programs designed for students, adults, educators, corporations, police agencies, and professionals, the MOT challenges visitors to more completely understand the Holocaust in historic and contemporary contexts, confront all forms of prejudice and discrimination in our world today, and assume personal responsibility for positive change.

In 2021, the Claudia and Nelson Peltz Social Lab was created within the existing 10,000 square foot Lower Exhibition floor of the Museum of Tolerance (MOT) in Los Angeles. According to the MOT web site, the Social Lab allows visitors to "focus on the major issues of intolerance that are part of daily life." As such, it builds on the SWC mission to inspire people to act against racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism. "Perhaps no other institution offers such a motivational mix of historical discovery and personal empowerment."

Using more than 4,900 square feet of Fabricoil® coiled wire fabric in a soft light grey powder coated finish called Brightened, visitors are greeted by the soft glowing veils of metal mesh curtains. The Fabricoil® mesh drapery is used to partition spaces within the exhibit while diffusing light and acting as a canvas for projected light, images, and videos. Helping to blend the traditional exhibit furniture with advanced computer and lighting technologies, the Fabricoil® material is an extremely durable solution for wayfinding and partitioning within the new interactive exhibit.

Project Team: Yazdani Studio, Cannon Design

Photography: Cascade Coil Drapery Inc.