academy museum unveils plans for renzo piano-designed complex

the academy museum has unveiled detailed plans for its new renzo piano-designed building, a complex billed as ‘the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies’. located on wilshire and fairfax in los angeles, the museum states that it has three primary goals: to convey the power of movies, to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look into how films are made, and to explore their impact on culture and our lives. RPBW (piano’s firm) was chosen to complete the project in may 2012, before construction began on site in 2015. the institution is set to open its doors in 2019.

the museum is located on wilshire and fairfax in los angeles
image © renzo piano building workshop / © A.M.P.A.S. / images from l’autre image (also main image)

renzo piano’s design comprises two distinct buildings that form the academy museum’s 300,000-square-foot campus. the six-storey saban building — a designated los angeles historic-cultural monument — will feature more than 50,000 square feet of exhibition galleries, a state-of-the-art education studio, a 288-seat theater, a restaurant and café, a store, and public event spaces. meanwhile, a soaring globe-shaped addition — appropriately titled ‘the sphere’ — will include a 1,000-seat theater and will host a range of performances, screenings, premieres, and events. at its top, an expansive terrace will afford sweeping views of the hollywood hills.

a soaring globe-shaped addition will include a 1,000-seat theater
image © renzo piano building workshop / © A.M.P.A.S. / images from l’autre image

combining sets, large-scale moving images, and costumes, a permanent exhibition tracing the evolution of moviemaking is planned for the museum’s second and third storeys. temporary galleries will serve as venues for rotating exhibitions, including retrospectives of major filmmakers and thematic explorations of cultural and social issues. separate from the core exhibition, the third floor also features an oscars experience, which uses technology to place visitors on hollywood’s famous red carpet and gives them the chance to hold a real oscar as they accept their award ‘on stage’.

an expansive terrace affords sweeping views of the hollywood hills
image © renzo piano building workshop / © A.M.P.A.S.

the unveiling of the new images coincides with the announcement of a landmark $50 million USD gift from cheryl and haim saban. ‘the millions of people around the world who make and love movies will be able to come to the epicenter of filmmaking and experience the magic of this art form,’ says dawn hudson, CEO of the academy. ‘they’ll see firsthand the vast collections of the academy and the work of our members. and, they’ll be able to do that all year — not just on oscar night.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

the museum’s temporary galleries will serve as venues for a rotating exhibitions
image © renzo piano building workshop / © A.M.P.A.S.

the complex is billed as ‘the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies’
image © renzo piano building workshop / © A.M.P.A.S.