New renderings were released of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop-designed museum for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science (AMPAS). The project, which is expected to be completed in 2019, resides in the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. It is expected to be “the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies“.
The collaboration of Renzo Piano with Gensler resulted in new expansions and some renovations of the May Company department store. The store is located at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax.
Having its name changed to the Saban building, the structure is composed of 6 floors and over 50,000 square feet of space assigned for exhibitions. The building will additionally include an educational studio, a theater that can host up to 288 spectators, a restaurant, and a store. Moreover, it will contain a cafe, a restaurant, as well as several spaces for events. The most prominent part of the project is its glass sphere that will house the David Geffen Theater, with a capacity of 1000 seats. The theater will house premiers, screenings, and performances.
The Renzo Piano-designed institution is LA’s first museum assigned for motion pictures. The previous difficulties of raising the necessary fund ($388 million) for the project have been mostly overcome. The fund raised until now covers three-quarters of the museum’s cost.