ArchDaily · Architectuur

Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Set to Open September 22, 2026

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has announced its public opening date of September 22, 2026, coinciding with the release of new images of its completed building. Designed by MAD Architects, the museum is dedicated to narrative art, defined as the art of telling stories through images.

The museum, founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, is housed in a 300,000-square-foot structure in Los Angeles's Exposition Park. Construction began in 2018, with an initial opening planned for 2025. The collection, amassed over five decades by George Lucas, features over 40,000 works tracing visual storytelling across cultures and centuries, from cave paintings to digital media.

Ma Yansong's design features a sculptural, curved silhouette, lifting the building off the ground to preserve views and create a public plaza beneath. The interior includes galleries, two theaters, a library, a café, a restaurant, and event spaces. The exterior is clad in over 1,271 uniquely shaped fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels.

The museum campus includes 11 acres of park and gardens designed by Studio-MLA, featuring native vegetation, trees, meadows, and outdoor sculptures. The park serves as a community resource for learning and public engagement, replacing a former asphalt parking lot.

Inaugural exhibitions will showcase around 1,300 works from the museum's collection, exploring themes like heroes, myths, and the sacred, as well as genres such as fantasy, romance, and adventure. Dedicated galleries will feature comic books, manga, photography, murals, and a 'Star Wars in Motion' installation.

The museum's film program will be presented in two theaters, the Robert Flaherty Theater and the Slavko Vorkapich Theater, offering continuous drop-in experiences with films ranging from a few minutes to 90 minutes, focusing on cinema's capacity to capture reality and its formal mechanics.

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