Image by Hunter Kerhart

Construction is beginning to take shape on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles.

Four cranes tower tall above the Exposition Park site as work on the building’s steel framework begins to rise above the ground.

Image by Hunter Kerhart

MAD Architects won a competition in 2014 to design the museum that spans 11 acres. Envisioned as something otherworldly – like a cloud floating over the city – it creates a canopy that shades the park below, exploring the relationship between nature and the built urban environment.

Image by Hunter Kerhart

The museum is comprised of gallery spaces, cinema theaters, a library, café and restaurants, along with an expansive landscaped rooftop that brings the greenery from the surrounding part up over the architecture. The terrace allows visitors to experience the museum from another perspective, while taking in panoramic views of the Los Angeles.The five-storey museum is the personal project of American filmmaker George Lucas and will house his comprehensive collection of narrative art, comprising more than 10,000 pieces that include comics, illustrations, paintings, photographs, moving images, sculptures, and other works of art linked to movies, along with film memorabilia. The world class landmark project will be MAD’s first museum to be built in the US upon its completion in late 2021.