The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum by Renzo Piano Building Workshop is nearing completion along the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. Piano’s design consists of the renovation of the May Company department store located at the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire, as well as a new glass sphere addition that will house the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater. Set for opening this year, the project aims to become the world’s premier institution dedicated to movies.
The new Academy Museum will be LA’s first museum dedicated to motion pictures. The project was built to meet the museum's desire to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look into how films are made, to explore the impact of motion pictures on culture, and to convey the power of movies. The May Company department store will be renamed the Saban Building, and the six-story structure will contain more than 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, a high-tech education studio, a 288-seat theater, a museum store, a restaurant, cafe and a variety of public and event spaces.
The signature glass sphere addition was designed to accommodate a range of programming, from premieres and performances to screenings. At the top of the sphere, a large terrace will be screened by the glass roof and look out over the Hollywood Hills. The museum is set to open later this year. Learn more about the project here.