The Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum is due to be completed at the end of this year, but it's not the only major movie-related museum planned for Los Angeles. After a turbulent start, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is now on track for a late-2021 completion, according to MAD Architects.
Unveiled back in 2014, the Lucas Museum was originally slated for Chicago, Illinois, and had a volcano-like design, but following planning permission issues, it was moved to LA. MAD then ripped up the old design and started from scratch with the new-and-improved proposal that wouldn't look too out of place in one of George Lucas' movies.
The museum will be topped by a large greenery-filled terrace and is described by MAD as an otherworldly cloud floating over the city. Its 290,000 sq ft (roughly 27,000 sq m) interior will host a rotating series of exhibitions dedicated to celebrating narrative art. This makes for a diverse collection of pieces – everything from Jar Jar Binks to an actual jar dating back to 520 BCE is represented, as well as illustrations, comics, paintings, photography, and even architectural renderings from the likes of Zaha Hadid Architects, UN Studio, and more.
"The museum is comprised of gallery spaces, cinema theaters, a library, café and restaurants, along with an expansive landscaped rooftop that brings the greenery from the surrounding part up over the architecture," says MAD. "The terrace allows visitors to experience the museum from another perspective, while taking in panoramic views of Los Angeles. The five-story museum is the personal project of American filmmaker George Lucas and will house his comprehensive collection of narrative art, comprising more than 10,000 pieces that include comics, illustrations, paintings, photographs, moving images, sculptures, and other works of art linked to movies, along with film memorabilia."
Following its groundbreaking back in 2018, a significant section of the Lucas Museum's steel formwork has now been completed and MAD indicates that it expects the museum to be completed by the end of 2021. The project's considerable US$1.5 billion budget is being fully funded by George Lucas' own deep pockets.
Sources: Lucas Museum, MAD Architects