When news broke late last year that George Lucas was searching for a permanent home for his planned Museum of Narrative Art in either San Francisco or Los Angeles, film buffs and Sci-Fi enthusiasts alike were left to wonder which city would be graced with the presence of the legendary director and screenwriter's legacy project. Each location seemed to come with its own equally significant merits and shortcomings.

Museum of Narrative Art viewed from within Exposition Park, image via Ma Yansong

While early frontrunner Los Angeles ultimately came out on top, the City by the Bay did not go down without a fight. Their proposed seaside locale on Treasure Island was viewed by many as a promising place to pay tribute to Lucas and the art and craft of filmmaking and Skywalker Ranch is located less than an hour's drive north of the city centre. LA's sprawling Exposition Park, not to mention its direct connection to Hollywood and significantly larger population, worked together to edge out San Francisco,. 

Museum of Narrative Art, Treasure Island, San Francisco, image via Ma Yansong

Designed by lead architect Ma Yansong of MAD architects, the $400 million museum will touch down at the heart of Exposition Park within view of the nearby LA Colosseum. The UFO-esque structure will contain 100,000 square feet of gallery space, as well as exhibition rooms, theatres, and educational facilities. Lucas himself reportedly plans to pump an additional $1 billion into the project in an effort to cement its status as a world-class attraction. 

Museum of Narrative Art, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, image via Ma Yansong

While it is still early days for the project, local support has been substantive. Mayor Eric Garcetti is on record claiming that the City of Los Angeles used "everything [they] have" to secure the project. To become part of an enduring legacy of film and creative process that has come to define Los Angeles, the Museum of Narrative Art is in many ways the ideal project for the city, as Hollywood's deep roots in LA are part of a rich cultural history that goes back more than a century. 

SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, may the Force be with you.