Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Progresses Toward 2026 Opening
Construction is actively progressing at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set within Los Angeles’s Exposition Park. The striking building, designed with a futuristic flair, is planned to open in 2026. Shaped like a fluid canopy gently hovering above the surrounding landscape, the museum presents a bold architectural statement while seamlessly blending into a revitalized, pedestrian-oriented park setting.
Under the direction of architect Ma Yansong, the design team has embraced flowing, organic shapes instead of rigid geometry. The museum's dynamic form is constructed using more than 1,500 custom-made fiberglass-reinforced polymer panels, creating an airy structure that appears to levitate. Its sculptural mass arches over the site with dramatic cantilevers and a cloud-like silhouette. A central 56-meter arch stretches across the entry plaza, while a large elliptical oculus brings natural light deep into the building and connects visitors visually with the sky above.
Despite its size, the structure touches the ground only at key points, giving the illusion of lightness and airiness. This levitating effect is more than aesthetic; it's a seismic design feature. With a meter of lateral clearance, the entire building can move during an earthquake, engineered to shift like a “giant roller skate” adapted to the realities of Los Angeles’s geological activity.
The grounds surrounding the museum are undergoing a green transformation. Landscape designer Mia Lehrer is reimagining the space, replacing large parking areas with more than 200 newly planted trees and a network of shaded paths. This change supports a vision of public space centered on people and nature, rather than vehicles.
Inside the museum, the same community-centered philosophy continues. In addition to nearly 8,400 square meters of gallery space, the facility will include advanced theaters, education studios, a library, a dining venue, a retail shop, and a rooftop event space that sits beneath the museum’s distinctive ribbed ceiling.
The museum’s central theme revolves around storytelling in all its visual forms. Its collection includes works ranging from classic American illustration to international art and film-related artifacts, reflecting a broad appreciation of narrative expression. It aims to celebrate storytelling as a shared cultural language across different media and traditions.
In 2025, leadership changes were introduced to guide the museum’s evolving structure. The director and CEO roles were separated to focus more distinctly on creative and administrative leadership. While artistic direction remains in the hands of the museum’s founder, the operational role has been taken up by a new interim CEO with a background in the entertainment industry.
With its architectural ambition, cultural focus, and community-centered design, the Lucas Museum aspires to become a daily part of life in South Los Angeles — a destination where the public can come together to experience, reflect, and explore the power of stories.
Project Details:
- Project Name: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
- Architect: MAD Architects
- Location: Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California
- Photographers: Roberto Gomez; Sand Hill Media/Eric Furie