Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the new owner of the old May Co. Department Store building originally constructed in 1939, of a Streamline Moderne design similar to the Coca-Cola Building in Downtown Los Angeles. The old May Co. Building was originally designed by architect Albert C. Martin, Sr., who was the same architect as Sid Grauman’s Million Dollar Theater originally built in 1917. The front end of the old May Co. Department Store has been said to resemble that of a gold bottle of perfume.

However, it has now been officially renamed the Saban Building, after Haim and Cheryl Saban gives the Academy $50 Million in contributions. He is a media proprietor, investor, philanthropist, musician, and producer and she is a psychologist, author, philanthropist and former Senior Adviser to the United States. The old May Co., building sits on the North-East corner of Wilshire & Fairfax Blvd., directly across the street from the Petersen Automotive Museum, and is registered as a Historic American Building with Library of Congress.

New Academy Museum of Motion Pictures devoted to movies coming soon 

The orb or sphere-shaped design extinction at the rear of the building is sure to attract eyeballs due to its eccentric uniqueness dubbed the ‘Death Star’ after the Star Wars Film series of Motion Pictures. The project has been behind schedule and has been under quite a bit of adversity. But as time went on, the Academy pushed their agendas through with the project.

The contractors are Matt Construction due to wining the bid as of June 1, 2017 according to the Hollywood Reporter and the architect of the orb-shaped theater is designed by non-other than architect Renzo Piano. The project should be completed by sometime in 2019.