George Lucas selects Architectural Team for Art Museum in Lakefront, Chicago

After a world-wide search, American film director George Lucas has finally selected Beijing-based firm MAD and Chicago-based Studio Gang Architects to design his proposed Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (LMNA) art museum on Chicago’s lakefront.

While Chinese architect Ma Yansong’s MAD firm is selected for the principal design and overall concept of the LMNA building, the Studio Gang will design the landscape and create a bridge at LMNA’s own expense to connect the LMNA to Northerly Island – a former airport runway that the firm has spent four years transforming into a park. Also Chicago-based VOA Associates will serve as the executive architect and lead the implementation of MAD’s design.

“We are bringing together some of the top architects in the world to ensure that our museum experience begins long before a visitor ever enters the building,” said George Lucas, founder of the LMNA. “I am thrilled with the architectural team’s vision for the building and the surrounding green space. I look forward to presenting our design to the Chicago community,” he was quoted saying in lucasmuseum.org website.
“It is a gift to be able to design the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in a city so rich with architectural history,” said Mr. Ma Yansong.

“In keeping with the Northerly Island ethos, our design goal will be to create a combined ecological and urban habitat,” stated Studio Gang principal Jeanne Gang.

“We will take the concept design and create a digital sculpture that will serve as the blueprint for construction,” said Michael Toolis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VOA Associates. “Each aspect of the museum will be digitally created using technology that enables us to test daylight, create interactive models and examine how the design performs in different environments.”
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The design for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be introduced in late 2014.

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