Working in entertainment is so ubiquitous in Los Angeles that people often say they simply work “in the industry.”
Now, there will be a museum to celebrate the city’s greatest export – the movies.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is due to open in summer 2019 in L.A’s Mid-City neighborhood. The Academy is, of course, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which would be the people who hand out the Oscars.
Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, who is also responsible for the new Whitney Museum in New York City, this 300,000-square-foot building will house some of the silver screen’s most famous props and costumes, as well as ephemera.
That includes everything from the typewriter that Joseph Stefano used to write the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” to a pair of tap shoes worn by Shirley Temple in her movie “The LIttle Colonel.”
The project includes repurposing one existing building, the local landmark Saban Building on Wilshire Boulevard, and building two more, the Dolby Family Terrace (the glass dome pictured in the rendering above) and the David Geffen Theatre, which will seat up to 1,000 people.
There will also be interactive experiences, a rooftop terrace, an outdoor piazza and at least one restaurant (no name or star chef have yet been announced).
And since this is Hollywood we’re talking about, it’s not surprising that some major A-list names are connected to the project. The museum’s three fundraising campaign chairs are Tom Hanks, Annette Bening and Disney CEO Bob Iger.
In addition to being a museum in Los Angeles, the Academy Museum wants to be a museum of Los Angeles.
Though two floors of the museum will house the permanent collection, the rest of the space will be dedicated to ever-changing installations, as well as hosting lectures, screenings and other events for and by the film community.
Its goals are threefold: “to convey the emotional and imaginative power of the movies, to offer visitors a look behind the screen into how movies are made and to explore the impact of the movies on our society and culture at large.”
Though it would be easy to focus on the golden age of Hollywood cinema, the project’s architect says that the museum isn’t just about the industry resting on its laurels.
“The Academy Museum gives us an opportunity to honor the past while creating a building for the future,” Piano said in a statement. “In fact, for the possibility of many futures.”
