Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Opens in Los Angeles After 17 Years

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened in Los Angeles on September 22, 2026, bringing a project approximately 17 years in the making to the public. Founded by filmmaker George Lucas and businesswoman Mellody Hobson, the museum explores how people tell stories through images.

Designed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, the five-story building occupies approximately 300,000 square feet in Exposition Park. Its curved white exterior rises above a sheltered public plaza, while galleries, theaters, a research library and educational spaces fill the interior.

The museum has been widely reported as a project costing around $1 billion. Behind the finished building is a development story involving several proposed locations, an international design and engineering team, and more than eight years between groundbreaking and opening.

The Vision Behind the Museum

Lucas and Hobson established the museum around their shared interest in visual storytelling and art collecting. The institution brings painting, illustration, photography, comics and filmmaking into the same conversation.

Its opening displays include works by Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo and Artemisia Gentileschi, alongside film materials from the Lucas Archives. An exhibition devoted to vehicle designs from the first six Star Wars films places Lucas’s filmmaking history within that broader collection.

Architecture Shaped by Clouds and Trees

Ma Yansong conceived the museum as a sculptural form influenced by clouds, light and the trees of Exposition Park. Stantec served as executive architect, with Michael Siegel working alongside MAD on the project.

The building lifts at its center to create a covered gathering space beneath it. A central arch spans 185 feet, while an elliptical oculus above the plaza frames a view of the sky.

More than 1,200 individually shaped fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels form the flowing exterior. The material’s relatively low weight and ability to accommodate complex curves helped the team realise the design.

Inside, the museum has more than 100,000 square feet of exhibition space across over 30 galleries. Two 299-seat theaters support its film programme, and a free public research library offers access to books, archives and other materials.

The Team Behind the Building

Hathaway Dinwiddie served as the building contractor, while LERA Consulting Structural Engineers was responsible for structural engineering.

The team had to resolve the building’s unusual geometry while designing for the seismic conditions of Los Angeles. LERA’s design incorporates 281 base isolators to improve the structure’s resilience during major earthquakes.

Mia Lehrer and Studio-MLA designed the surrounding landscape, connecting the building to gardens, paths, meadows and shaded public spaces. Rockwell Group designed the rooftop Skywalker Grill, whose cherry-wood interior overlooks Los Angeles.

From Early Proposals to Opening Day

The museum’s route to completion began outside Los Angeles. Earlier proposals considered San Francisco and Chicago before Los Angeles was selected in January 2017.

The official groundbreaking took place on March 14, 2018. By September 2022, installation of the exterior panels had begun and planting was underway. At that stage, the museum anticipated a 2025 opening.

The public opening on September 22, 2026, came more than eight years after groundbreaking. The longer journey included the search for a location, architectural design, construction and preparation of the collection for visitors.

A Public Landscape Around the Museum

The completed museum sits within a 13-acre campus that includes 11 acres of park and gardens. Studio-MLA transformed former parking areas into public green space for visitors and the surrounding South Los Angeles community.

Native and drought-tolerant planting responds to the local climate. The landscape captures rainwater for irrigation, while rooftop solar panels contribute to the campus’s energy supply.

The park is free to enter and includes outdoor sculpture. Along with the library, theaters and sheltered plaza, it gives people ways to use the museum site beyond a visit to the galleries.