LOS ANGELES—The Pacific Design Center, a design emporium featuring 130 showrooms, will launch its Design Loves Art initiative tomorrow, allowing art galleries to take over vacant commercial spaces in its sprawling building — sometimes referred to as the "Blue Whale" — for the next six months rent-free.

Some of the galleries participating in the project have permanent locations elsewhere in Los Angeles, while others are using the space as an opportunity to reopen their doors after being forced to close. The only cost to gallery owners is a 10 percent cut of any sale to the Pacific Design Center.

Diana Thater Projects and David Moffat Gallery are among those galleries opening up shop. The exhibition is sponsored by Cohen Design Centers and led by independent curator Helen Varola.

The move parallels recent trends in cities around the world, where the economic downturn has encouraged all types of collaborations between property owners and arts groups. ARTINFO earlier highlighted the trend in London, Palm Springs, and New York, where LentSpace, an unused block in downtown Manhattan, just opened as a temporary arts venue.