Located at the bustling intersection of Wilshire Avenue and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, the Oscar Film Museum stands as the world’s premier film museum.
The museum is situated in Los Angeles’ renowned “Miracle Mile” district. Originally constructed in 1939 as the May Department Store—now called the Saban Building—the building has been carefully renovated to preserve its historic structure while breathing new life into it.
To honor its rich past and embrace future opportunities, the 1946 addition was demolished and replaced by a striking spherical structure. This new addition houses the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and the Dolby Family Terrace, offering panoramic views of Hollywood.
The newly designed museum features over 50,000 square feet (4,645 square meters) of gallery space, two theaters, a project space, outdoor plaza, rooftop terrace, educational studios, restaurants, and retail shops.
Renzo Piano remarked, “The Academy Museum provides us the opportunity to create a building that not only honors the past but also opens many possibilities for the future. The historic Saban Building exemplifies streamlined modern style, and preserving it maintains the vision of the future from 1939.”
The new spherical structure appears to float above the ground, symbolizing cinema’s power to transcend time and space. This architectural form creates an immersive experience, seamlessly transitioning from exhibition halls to theaters and terraces—much like the flow of a film.
Project Drawings
△ Project Sketch
△ Project Sketch
△ General Layout Plan
△ Plan View
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Sectional Perspective
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architects: Gensler and Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Area: 98,700 m²
Project Year: 2021
Photographer: Nic Lehoux
Manufacturers: Draper, Zone Display Cases
Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Gensler (architect of record) and SPF:a
Design Team: M. Carroll, S. Scarabicchi (partners in charge); L. Priano (associate in charge); D. Hammerman, J. Jones, K. Joyce; with S. Casarotto, E. Donadel, S. Ishida (partner), M. Matthews, P. Pelanda, T. Perkins, E. Trezzani (partner), and N. Cheng, G. Dattola, E. Ludwig, B. Ruswick, H. Travers, A. Zambrano; F. Cappellini, I. Corsaro, D. Lange, F. Terranova (models)
Interior Facade: Walter P. Moore
Hardware Design: Finish Hardware Technology
Structural Engineer: Buro Happold
Facade Design: Knippers Helbig
Cinema Consultant: Oyana
Audiovisual Design: Jaffe Holden
Lighting Consultant: Fisher Marantz Stone
Fire Safety: Exponent, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Vertical Transportation: Lerch Bates, Kiran Consulting Group, HKA Elevator Consulting
Sustainable Development: Atelier Ten, Transsolar
Architectural Enclosure Structure Design: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Transportation Consultant: Gibson Transportation Consulting
Cost Consultant: AECOM, Stuart Lynn Company
Building Restoration: John Fidler Preservation Technology
Project Management: Paratus Group
Location: Los Angeles, USA
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