Opening April 30, 2021, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world’s premier institution devoted to the art and science of movies and moviemaking. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the 300,000 square-foot museum campus at Wilshire and Fairfax features a major renovation and expansion to the 1939 May Company Building. Renamed the Saban Building in honor of the benefactors Cheryl and Haim Saban, this StreamlineModerne landmark in the heart of Los Angeles’s Miracle Mile neighborhood is adjoined by a soaring new glass-and-concrete spherical addition to the north, featuring a terrace with views of the Hollywood Hills. The building’s design is inspired by the museum's mission to turn the dream factory inside out and give visitors unprecedented opportunities to peer behind the screen and into the creative, collaborative world of moviemaking.

PRINCIPAL DESIGN
The 300,000-square-foot Academy Museum will feature six stories of dynamic spaces, including more than 50,000 square feet of immersive permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, an education studio, two state-of-the-art theaters as well as dynamic public and special event spaces that include a spectacular rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills.

THEATERS
The new 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater located in the Sphere Building will feature daily screenings and major film events including previews, openings, and special presentations. In addition to being able to screen 35mm, 70mm, and digital laser projections, the Geffen Theater also has nitrate capabilities. The more intimate 288-seat Ted Mann Theater will offer screenings ranging from Saturday morning matinees for children of all ages to a global cinema series in 16mm, 35mm, 70mm, as well as digital laser projections. Both theaters will be home to an array of live performances, lectures, panels, and other events that will attract renowned film industry leaders. Theaters will be equipped to present film with multidimensional sound experiences and superior screen quality.

MATERIALS
Saban Building: concrete; steel; steel-reinforced concrete; glass; the iconic cylinder comprises 350,000 gold leaf mosaic tiles of which 35% were replaced by tiles from the original manufacturer, Orsini, of Venice, Italy; limestone from Austin, Texas will be used to restore the historic building façade.
Sphere Building: concrete, precast, steel; steel-reinforced concrete; and the glass dome consists of 1,500 flat, specially made low iron, laminated, tempered, shingled glass panels cut in 146 different shapes and sizes fabricated in Steyr, Austria by Saint-Gobain.