Architecture

Work nears completion on Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum

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The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is due to be completed in December, 2020
Academy Museum Foundation
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures project includes the renovation of the iconic Saban Building (aka May Company Building), pictured
Joshua White
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' new building is connected to the Saban Building with glass bridges
Joshua White
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' glass area consists of concrete and steel, with 1,500 custom-made glazed panels cut into 146 different shapes and sizes by Austrian firm Saint-Gobain
Academy Museum Foundation
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' new building will host a 1,000 seat theater and a rooftop terrace offering views of the Hollywood Hills
The Academy Museum Foundation
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is due to be completed in December, 2020
Academy Museum Foundation
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' impressive glazed roof will offer views of Hollywood Hills
Joshua White
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Work is well underway on the Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. The project is defined by an eye-catching glazed building and will be devoted to celebrating the art and science of movies when it opens later this year.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which also involved Studio Pali Fekete Architects during the design stage, is located within the Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus and consists of two main parts: a renovation of the iconic Saban Building (aka May Company Building) already on the site, plus Piano's roughly spherical new addition.

The project involves refreshing the 1930s building's facade and golden detailing, while the new building will be connected by glazed bridges.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures project includes the renovation of the iconic Saban Building (aka May Company Building), pictured
Joshua White

Structurally, the new building consists of concrete and steel, plus 1,500 custom-made glass panels cut into 146 different shapes and sizes by Austrian firm Saint-Gobain. Its interior will host a 1,000 seat theater and a rooftop terrace offering choice views of the Hollywood Hills.

The bulk of the museum's exhibition space will be located in the old Saban Building though. The Academy Museum Foundation has been busy collecting pieces to display since 2008 and the exhibitions will include examples of motion picture technology, iconic costume design, production design, makeup and hairstyling, and, of course, Oscars statuettes.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' new building will host a 1,000 seat theater and a rooftop terrace offering views of the Hollywood Hills
The Academy Museum Foundation

"We cannot wait to welcome the whole world to the Academy Museum," says Academy Museum Director Bill Kramer. "When our doors open on December 14, our thrilling combination of exhibitions, screenings, and public and educational programs will create unparalleled experiences for movie lovers everywhere."

Los Angeles is also slated to receive another cinema-related museum in the form of George Lucas' Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, designed by MAD Architects. The project began construction back in 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2021.

Source: Academy Museum

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3 comments
Gizzy Magpie
Hollywood congratulating itself yet again.
ljaques
If you build it, will they come back? (Overweight wager, Charlie)
buzzclick
I see three sets of exterior staircases which could be fire escapes. They certainly detract from the clean lines of the globe, and could've been incorporated in a much cleaner fashion.