George Lucas's New
UFO-Like Museum Will Be in Chicago - Video
Last year, when George Lucas announced he’d chosen Chicago as the site of
his new museum, we didn't know he meant the windy city would be adding a spaceship
to its collection of architectural high-rises.
Yesterday, at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria, Chinese architect Ma
Yansong of MAD architects revealed his design plans for the futuristic Lucas
Museum of Narrative Arts. The new building will house Lucas’ personal
collection of Star Wars memorabilia and artwork, which has to be a strange
group of items that perhaps require a strange building for housing.
“I want our building to blend into this [park] environment, so you can’t
tell where is the building and where is the park,” said Chinese architect Ma
Yansong of the waterfront location chosen for the project. I don’t know what
building he’s looking at, but it’s hard to imagine this UFO-like structure
blending into anything, let alone landscape.
The location itself has caused quite a bit of controversy. Anyone who’s visited
Chicago knows there are two things Chicagoans love: the Bears, and watching the
Bears. The Lucas building would require the removal of two parking lots fans of
the Chicago Bears currently use for tailgating purposes. Lucas Museum directors
attempted to avoid having any issues with raging football fans, and said they
would allow them to host their pre-game drink on the landscaped grass area
surrounding the building. Smart choice.
The proposed building is a 110 feet tall, seven-story dome-like structure
made of stacks of precisely cut stone. The very top features a circular
observation deck with 360-degree city to lake views, and a restaurant. Sounds
like expensive drinks and a good place to bring your parents when they’re in
town. Aside from miscellaneous Lucas stuff, the museum will house four movie
theaters and a bottom floor “urban living room.”
If the 400,000 square foot, $400 million project is to actually land on the
Chicago shoreline, it won’t happen until 2018. Until then, we can make Jabba
the Hutt turns architect jokes.
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