The creator of the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas Museum, finally settles the competition between Los Angeles(LA) and San Francisco on which city will be accommodating the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts. The museum, which will be funded by Lucas himself with a total amount of $1 billion, shall display his personal art collection including artifacts from Star Wars and his other works.
The futuristic all-curvy design of Lucas Museum, which is to be located in the Exposition Park in Los Angeles, is one of two design proposals for the museum by MAD architects. The other proposal was for the waterfront location in San Francisco, made to fit in its context, Treasure Island. These two designs were not MAD principal Ma Yansong’s first attempt at the project. He had, previously, designed a tent-like form for a Michigan Lakefront site in Chicago, but it was dismissed after the objections of local figures. The winning city earns itself more than 1,500 construction jobs, 350 permanent jobs, and the $1 Billion fund by Lucas and his wife Mellody Hopson; a sum of money which includes building costs, 10,000 pieces of art, and an endowment of approximately $400 million. That is, of course, besides its high potential as a tourist attraction.
Courtesy Of MAD Architects
The museum board announced that their reason for choosing LA is because of the Exposition Park site which “best positions the museum to have the greatest impact on the broader community”, explaining that “Exposition Park is a magnet for the region and accessible from all parts of the city.” The open public park, located in South Los Angeles, is already housing the California Science Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the California African American Museum, and the new museum shall be a contribution to the area’s development according to the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti. Entertainment and Cultural Leaders of LA, who have formerly shown support to the project have, also, expressed their pleasure at the latest news. DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg says: “This is a real triumph for the city of L.A., and this will be a transformative opportunity for L.A.” He sees the possibility of the museum becoming an icon for the city and a trigger for future development.
Courtesy Of MAD Architects
All Images Courtesy Of MAD Architects
