Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Los Angeles, CA
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

structural engineering, facade design  Services

Renzo Piano Building Workshop   Architect

Film museum with a 45-meter diameter spherical steel glass structure

Project

The new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles is dedicated to the art and technology of movies. The project included the complete renovation of a former department store on the famous “Miracle Mile”, adjacent to the L.A.C.M.A., as well as a spherical, floating additional building. From the exhibition areas you can reach the film theater and roof terrace of new building via several filigree steel-glass truss bridges. Under a 45-meter-wide glass dome made of lightweight steel construction, visitors enjoy a breathtaking view of the Hollywood Hills.

Grid shell made of steel profiles, diagonal cable bracing and shingled glazing

Design spherical steel-glass strucutre
The primary structure of the steel grid shell consists of approximately 4 inch diameter tubular steel arches in east-west direction and radially oriented arcs of custom milled, solid rectangular steel profiles (approximately 2 x 2 ½ inches) in north-south direction, intersecting perpendicular with the east-west arches at each node. The 0.4 inch diameter twin cables run diagonally and continuously across the entire dome and are clamped at each node of the grid. Secondary steel T-profiles run approximately 10 inches above the primary east-west structure and serve as supports for the 2x12mm thick glazing.

Connecting bridges between Existing building and new “Geffen Theater”

Design Connecting Bridges
The connecting bridges consist of a delicately constructed steel structure, which is glazed on all sides. One of the bridges is suspended from an overhead bridge structure by cables. A unique feature is that the bridge structure must accommodate differential deformations of over one meter due to seismic isolators in the Geffen Theater building, which required the design of appropriate expansion joints.

Structural system of the rectangular grid shell and cable diagonals

Structural Engineering grid shell and bridges
The east-west oriented arches are the main supporting elements and form a perfect semicircle. The deviation from the catenary shape results in the characteristic deformation of spherical domes, with the top portion sagging and the bottom portion bulging. In addition, generous openings on the north and south sides create potential weak points in the shell. Through the introduction of cross bracing with cables in the shell level and so-called Shukhov cable bracing near the openings, the deflections could be sufficiently controlled so that there were no visually perceptible geometric deviations from the ideal dome shape. For the structural analysis of the various constructions, finite element models were developed in Sofistik, and detailed analysis were conducted, among others, in ANSYS.

Gallery

Project data

Client Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Finalization 09/2021

Project data Gross floor area 27.871 m²
Facade surface 2.180 m²

Services structural engineering, facade design

Awards Glass Magazine Award 2021, LEED Gold Certification (2020, Wallpaper* Design Award, Best Building Site (2019), AIA Design Awards, Merit Award (2019), Best New Building Award, Municipal Art Society of New York(2019), AD Wow! Award (2021), ENR Global Best Projects, Award of Merit, Cultural Worship (2021)