Saban Building
| Company type | Building |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (historically), Museum (currently) |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Defunct | 1992 (as May Company department store) |
| Fate | Converted to museum facility |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Department store goods (historically), museum exhibitions (currently) |
Overview
The Saban Building, originally known as the May Company Building, is situated on Wilshire Boulevard within Los Angeles' Miracle Mile neighborhood. This structure stands as a distinguished representation of Streamline Moderne design. Its architect, Albert C. Martin, Sr., who also contributed to the design of the Million Dollar Theater and Los Angeles City Hall, crafted this iconic edifice. Recognized as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, the building holds significant cultural value. From its opening in 1939 until its closure in 1992, it functioned as a department store for May Company. The closure coincided with May Company's merger with J. W. Robinson's, resulting in the formation of Robinsons-May. Since 2021, the building has housed the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
According to the Los Angeles Conservancy, this building is regarded as "the grandest example of Streamline Moderne remaining in Los Angeles." A notable feature is its gold-tiled cylindrical tower that prominently faces the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, occupying the northeast corner of this junction.
May Company
Erected in 1939, the May Company Building stands as a distinguished example of Streamline Moderne architecture.[1] In 1992, it received designation as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.[1]
LACMA West
Following a two-year period of vacancy, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) acquired the building in 1994 and repurposed it as exhibition space under the name "'LACMA West.'" [2][3] In 2014, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures secured a 55-year lease agreement with LACMA that included the May Company Building and adjacent land designated for constructing the David Geffen Theater.[4]
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
In recognition of a $50 million contribution from philanthropist Cheryl Saban and entertainment executive Haim Saban in 2017 (approximately $Template:Format price adjusted for inflation), the May Company Building was renamed the Saban Building.[5] Since 2021, this building has functioned as the primary facility for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.[6]
In 2012,[7] Dawn Hudson, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, commissioned Pritzker Prize laureate architect Renzo Piano to design a 300,000-square-foot campus combining the historic May Company Building with a new spherical structure connected by three glass bridges.[8]
The restoration blueprint involved refurbishing the original edifice, including a comprehensive exterior restoration that emphasized its iconic cylindrical façade.[9] This cylindrical feature is adorned with over 350,000 mosaic tiles made from glass and gold leaf. Preservation expert John Fidler led efforts to retain as many original tiles as feasible; tiles requiring replacement were sourced from Orsoni, their original Venetian manufacturer.[9] The majority of the Saban Building’s exterior is clad in Texas limestone panels that had begun to degrade. Employing an English method known as helifix anchoring, Fidler facilitated removal of damaged stone and corroded metal components to fundamentally restore the façade.[10]
Renzo Piano was also tasked with designing the museum’s new spherical annex.[11][8] This 130-foot-tall sphere houses the David Geffen Theater, which seats 1,000 guests. Crowning the structure is the glass-domed Dolby Family Terrace that provides sweeping views of Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign.[12]
Appearances in popular culture
This structure was showcased in Episode 702 of Visiting... with Huell Howser. It also plays a significant role in the 1988 movie Miracle Mile, featuring performances by Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nichols, Chris (2018-04-06). "The Academy Museum Is Restoring This 1939 Mid-Wilshire Landmark Los Angeles Magazine". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ "Overview". Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
- ↑ "May Co. Building to Reopen as LACMA West". Los Angeles Times. October 22, 1998.
- ↑ Boehm, Mike (2014-06-02). "Film academy to pay LACMA $36.1 million for movie museum lease". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Malkin, Marc (2018-12-05). "Why Haim and Cheryl Saban's $50 Million Donation to Academy Museum Almost Didn't Happen". Variety. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Baldwin, Eric (2020-02-17). "Academy of Motion Pictures to Open this December in Los Angeles". ArchDaily. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Rathe, Adam (2020-06-14). "The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Might Be the Most Exciting Development in This Year's Oscars Race". Town & Country. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Academy Museum of Motion Pictures". Architect Magazine. October 16, 2017. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cramer, Alex (2018-12-05). "Tom Hanks Helps Unveil Academy Museum's Newly Restored Building". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Gee, Kristopher. "AMPAS Restored Classic LA Building for New Museum". Spectrum News. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Roe, Mike (2020-02-10). "The Academy Museum's Giant Sphere Only Looks Like A Galactic Superweapon (There's A Movie Theater Inside!)". LAist. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ↑ Chandler, Jenna (2017-09-28). "Film academy releases new renderings of its museum on the Miracle Mile". Curbed LA. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
External links
- Template:Official
- Archive of historic images Archived March 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine provided by Los Angeles Conservancy
- Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
- Buildings and structures in Los Angeles
- Department store buildings in the United States
- Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles
- Wilshire Boulevard
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments
- Commercial buildings completed in 1939
- 1930s architecture in the United States
- 1939 establishments in California
- Streamline Moderne architecture in California
- May Company buildings
- Retail buildings in California
- May Company California
- Defunct department stores based in the Miracle Mile