Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the world’s leading institution dedicated to the art and science of movies.

Located on the ‘Miracle Mile’ in Los Angeles, the building accommodates around 30,000 sqm of exhibition, theatre, dining, retail, education, conservation and public spaces. Its unique design provides visitors with an unparalleled glimpse behind the scenes into the creative and collaborative world of movie-making.

Brand: Permasteelisa, Gartner

Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Gensler

Client and contractor: MATT construction

Façade engineer: Knippers Helbig (dome) and BuroHappold (bridges)

Owner: Academy Museum of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The project

The concept

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures consists of two buildings: the fully renovated historic May Company building – renamed the Saban Building – and a new spherical building offering views of the Hollywood Hills. The structures are connected by three largely transparent bridges.

What did we do?

We designed, engineered, manufactured and installed the steel-and-glass dome for the Sphere Building. The steel structure rests on a concrete structure and is reinforced by ropes running crosswise. A secondary steel construction consisting of 60mm wide T-profiles serves as a two-sided glass support; for optimal transparency, only low-iron glass without coating was used. Sun protection units were attached directly to the steel construction and openable units in the upper part of the dome allow for natural ventilation of the terrace.

We also supplied the filigree steel-glass bridges, consisting of glass roofs, parapet glazing and a glass floor (just one of the bridges).