The nation’s first large-scale museum devoted entirely to filmmaking has earned LEED Gold certification months before its slated opening date in April 2021. Located on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax in Los Angeles’ Museum Mile, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ 300,000-square-foot campus features a major renovation of and expansion to the Saban Building, a 1939 Streamline Modern icon that’s also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano led the design of the energy-efficient, adaptive reuse project.
Nearing completion after 5 years of construction, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a six-story, 300,000-square-foot facility that will be mostly housed within the Saban Building — formerly known as the May Company Building — and will also include a 45,000-square-foot spherical addition built of steel-reinforced concrete and 1,500 custom glass panels fabricated in Steyr, Austria by Saint-Gobain. In addition to over 50,000 square feet of both permanent and temporary immersive exhibition galleries, the museum will include two state-of-the-art theaters, an education studio, public and special event spaces and a rooftop terrace with spectacular views of the Hollywood Hills.
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To meet LEED Gold standards, the architects reduced waste by breathing new life into an existing structure and integrated solar panels, low-flow fixtures and waste reduction programs into the building design. Responsible stormwater management practices have been applied to the landscape, which will use captured stormwater for irrigation. The museum is also sited for easy public transit access and ride-share pickup and drop-off; an abundance of bicycle racks will be provided as well. Green Building Education content will be made available both onsite and online upon the museum’s opening in April 2021.
“The Academy Museum takes great pride in receiving this important recognition of our commitment to the well-being of our planet and our community,” said Bill Kramer, Academy Museum Director and President. “We look forward to welcoming the public to our environmentally-friendly campus next year and are grateful to the Roddenberry Foundation for its vital support of the museum’s sustainability initiatives.”
+ Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Images via Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
