Gower Mausoleum opens

A five story Gower Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery reshapes how memory and space are managed in the city.

L A s newest landmark is a five story mausoleum in Hollywood

Los Angeles gains a vertical landmark at Hollywood Forever Cemetery with the new five story Gower Mausoleum. The structure rises above the grounds that hold legends from Judy Garland to Hattie McDaniel, and two floors are already sold as the city faces limited burial space.

Architects Roberto Sheinberg and Michael Lehrer designed the building to solve space constraints by going upward rather than outward. The cemetery also hosts events such as festivals, morning yoga and outdoor movie nights, inviting visitors to remember while living in the space.

The project reframes memory as something housed in a living city, not tucked away in rural plots. By turning a cemetery into a cultural venue, Hollywood Forever blurs the line between remembrance and everyday life. If the model proves affordable and accessible, it could influence other urban cemeteries to rethink capacity and community role.

But the model also raises questions about access, affordability and whether memory risks becoming a premium experience. As cities grow tighter on land, the temptation to monetize space for the living alongside the dead could invite scrutiny over who benefits and who is left behind.

Highlights

Memory is being reimagined as the city grows taller and closer.