Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre

Los Angeles, CA
Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop / Gensler
Contractor: Matt Construction

Project Overview:

Designed by the world-renowned Renzo Piano, the Museum will contain over 290,000 square feet of galleries, exhibition spaces, movie theaters, and special-event spaces. In addition to renovating the existing Saban Building, formerly known as the May Co. Building, a new, 42,300 square foot and six-and-a-half story, spherical structure will be built off the north façade, connected by pedestrian bridges. The bottom of the spherical structure will be poured concrete with precast cladding while the top half is a glass-covered terrace, allowing guests to look over the Hollywood Hills. The lower half of the sphere will house the 1,000 seats, “David Geffen” Theatre.

LEED Certification:
  • LEED Gold (pending)
Key Contribution by ELEMENT:
  • All Wall and Ceiling finishes in the Geffen Theatre, comprised of: structural supports, aluminum extrusions, fabric wrapped panels, acoustic insulation, acoustic equipment and numerous miscellaneous components.
ELEMENT Services:
  • Preliminary materials, manufacturing, engineering, scheduling and budget estimation
  • Presentation of options and solutions, including schedule, scope and budgeting aspects of various options
  • Mockups
  • Samples
  • 3D Modeling
  • Scheduling and Sequencing
  • Fabrication
  • Staging and Delivery
Select Publications:
  • “Motion Picture Academy Unveils Designs for Renzo Piano-Designed Museum”, 16 April 2013, ArchDaily
  • “Academy Museum moves to production with City Council’s green light”, 24 June 2015, Los Angeles Times
  • “Academy Museum’s glassy sphere is taking shape on the Miracle Mile”, 20 September 2017, Curbed Los Angeles
  • “Renzo Piano design for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exhibition spaces revealed”, 27 September 2017, The Architects Newspaper
  • “New images show Renzo Piano’s Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA”, 29 September 2017, Dezeen
  • “New Renderings Revealed of Renzo Piano’s Motion Picture Academy in Los Angeles”, 3 October 2017, ArchDaily
  • “Renzo Piano Comes to Hollywood: 5 Things We Learned About the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures”, 20 October 2017, IndieWire
  • “Hollywood’s Long-Awaited Movie Museum to Open in 2019”, 30 November 2017, Voice of America

Complex geometry …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre - Rendering

requires smart solutions …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre - Project Plan

that are tested and approved with mockups …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Mockup

that are produced with care and attention to detail …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Manufacturing

and produced on time …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Production

are well coordinated on site …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Installation

… and ultimately come together to create the designers dream …

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Finished Product
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre - Panel Finished Product
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – Geffen Theatre – Panel Finished Product