The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | Nic Lehoux, Academy Museum FoundationOpened in 2021, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has become a significant landmark in Los Angeles cultural landscape, seamlessly blending historic preservation with bold contemporary design. Located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue within the Miracle Mile, the museum comprises the restored 1939 May Company Building (now the Saban Building) and the Sphere Building, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Gensler and SPF:a. This architectural dialogue between the past and the future mirrors the evolving narrative of cinema itself.The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Technical InformationArchitects1-26: RPBW | Renzo Piano Building WorkshopArchitect of Record: GenslerCollaborating Architect: SPF:aLocation: Los Angeles, California, USAClient: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)Area: 23,225 m2 | 250,000 sq. ft.Project Year: 2012 2021Photographs: Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationThe Academy Museum gives us the opportunity to honor the past while creating a building for the futurein fact, for the possibility of many futures. Renzo PianoThe Academy Museum of Motion Pictures PhotographsPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationPhotograph by Nic Lehoux | Academy Museum FoundationArchitectural Concept and Spatial ExperienceThe museums foundation is the formerMay Company Building, aStreamline Modernelandmark. Originally designed as a department store in 1939, the building embodies the optimism of pre-war American modernism with its iconic golden mosaic-tiled cylindrical corner. Renzo Pianos intervention respects this legacy, restoring the faade while adapting the structure to house over 50,000 square feet of exhibition space. The removal of post-1946 additions allowed the building to regain its original form while accommodating contemporary museum functions.Inside, the architectural language is one of continuity and fluidity, ensuring that the exhibition spaces retain a sense of openness. The adaptation prioritizes natural light, reactivating the buildings relationship with the street and inviting visitors into an immersive experience that unfolds through a sequence of spatial transitions.Contrasting the historical solidity of the Saban Building, the Sphere Building embodies movement, lightness, and innovation. Elevated on four reinforced concrete piers, this volume houses the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater, a space dedicated to the cinematic experience. The spheres glass and steel structure creates a sense of levitation, reinforcing the ethereal quality of film as an art form.Piano describes the design as an imaginary voyage through space and time, a metaphor that aligns with the cinematic experience. Visitors transition from the galleries of the Saban Building into the theater through a carefully choreographed sequence, creating a spatial journey that echoes the narrative structure of film. The Dolby Family Terrace, located atop the Sphere, provides a visual and conceptual pause, offering panoramic views of Hollywood, a symbolic reference to the origins of cinema.Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Structural InnovationThe Sphere Building is an engineering feat that demanded innovative structural solutions. Designed with Buro Happold as a structural engineer, the buildings primary support system consists of four massive concrete piers, allowing the sphere to maintain its floating appearance. The theater enclosures glass-supported steel framework provides transparency and lightness, reinforcing the interplay between materiality and form.The museums material choices reflect its dual identity. The Saban Buildings limestone and golden mosaic tiles preserve the texture of history, while the Spheres steel and glass look toward the future of architecture. This contrast is not simply aesthetic but programmatic, emphasizing the museums role in bridging past narratives with future cinematic explorations.The interior materiality follows a similar conceptual approach. While the restored historic building embraces warm, textured finishes, the Sphere incorporates high-performance acoustic materials designed in collaboration with Arup North America and Jaffe Holden, ensuring an unparalleled cinematic experience.Urban and Cultural Context: Reinventing the Miracle MileThe Academy Museums design is not merely about form but about creating urban engagement. The project opens onto Wilshire Boulevard, connecting with Los Angeles broader cultural institutions, such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Petersen Automotive Museum. The outdoor piazza, an essential design component, extends the museums influence beyond its walls, creating a public space that fosters interaction and cultural exchange.The museum integrates sustainable design strategies, ensuring long-term environmental resilience. Atelier Tens sustainability consultancy played a crucial role in optimizing energy efficiency, passive ventilation, and daylighting strategies. The adaptive reuse of the May Company Building is itself a statement on sustainability, preserving embodied carbon while reducing demolition waste.Additionally, the faade engineering by Knippers Helbig and Simpson Gumpertz & Hegers waterproofing expertise ensure the buildings longevity in response to Los Angeles climate conditions.The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures PlansSite Plan | RPBW Renzo Piano Building Workshop ArchitectsFloor Plan | RPBW Renzo Piano Building Workshop ArchitectsSection | Piano, RenzoSketch | Piano, RenzoThe Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Image GalleryAbout RPBWFounded in 1981 by Renzo Piano, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) is an internationally acclaimed architectural firm known for its innovative, context-sensitive designs that merge technology, materiality, and environmental consciousness. With offices in Genoa, Paris, and New York, RPBW has created landmark projects such as the Centre Pompidou, The Shard, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, all reflecting Pianos philosophy of architecture as a dialogue between history, space, and innovation.Credits and Additional NotesPartners in Charge: Mark Carroll, Stefano ScarabicchiAssociate in Charge: Lorenzo PrianoProject Architects: David Hammerman, Jonathan Jones, Kevin JoyceAdditional Team Members: Silvia Casarotto, Elena Donadel, Satoshi Ishida, Marco Matthews, Paolo Pelanda, Tom Perkins, Elisa Trezzani, Natalia Cheng, Giacomo Dattola, Erica Ludwig, Brian Ruswick, Heather Travers, Andres ZambranoModeling Team: Federico Cappellini, Isabella Corsaro, Daniel Lange, Francesco TerranovaStructural, MEP, and Lighting Engineering: Buro HappoldFaade Engineering: Knippers HelbigTheater Consulting & Acoustics: Arup North AmericaAcoustics & A/V Consulting: Jaffe HoldenLighting Design: Fisher Marantz StoneFire/Life Safety Consulting: Exponent, Simpson Gumpertz & HegerVertical Transportation: Lerch Bates, Kiran Consulting Group, HKA Elevator ConsultingSustainability Consulting: Atelier Ten, TranssolarBuilding Envelope & Waterproofing: Simpson Gumpertz & HegerTraffic Engineering: Gibson Transportation ConsultingCost Consulting: AECOM, Stuart-Lynn CompanyInterior Faade Engineering: Walter P. MooreRestoration Consultant: John Fidler Preservation TechnologyBuilding Maintenance: CS CaulkinsHardware Consulting: Finish Hardware TechnologyProject Manager: Paratus GroupMay Company (Saban) Building Gross Square Footage: 250,000 sq. ft.Sphere Building Gross Square Footage: 40,280 sq. ft.Total Exhibition Space: >50,000 sq. ft.Total Site Area: 98,700 sq. ft.Main Theater Capacity: 1,000 seats