The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is not of this world. Founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas, the museum will cut a sleek figure against the Chicago skyline and the shore of Lake Michigan, as seen in renderings released this week by MAD Architects. The Beijing firm was tapped by Lucas in July to design the building, with Studio Gang Architects devising the surrounding landscape architecture. The museum’s sweeping façade appears to hover (like a spacecraft, one might be tempted to say) over a wide lawn, the whole structure sloping upward to what MAD calls a “floating disc” at its apex. In a statement about the concept, MAD says, “The Lucas Museum design is both futuristic and timeless. . . . More than a building, it is an urban vista for social interaction, bringing people closer to each other and to nature.”
In keeping with the spirit of communal experiences, the museum’s interior will include three levels of gallery and exhibition spaces laid out in “infinite loops,” as well as an observation deck with panoramic views.
