Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Academy Museum

Los Angeles, CA

The new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures revitalizes the historic Streamline Moderne building which had been dormant for nearly two decades. Jaffe Holden designed the acoustics and audio/video systems for this 300,000 SF venue, which features the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater, 288-seat Ted Mann Theater, Shirley Temple Education Studio, and exhibition spaces that showcase artifacts and memorabilia from cinema classics.

Both the Geffen Theater and the Ted Mann Theater are designed to be the finest screening rooms in the world, providing superior quality sound for professional audiences as well as the general public. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, with multi-speaker arrays that project evenly to the entire audience and bespoke acoustic designs that make the sound exuberate throughout the space. We worked with Dolby to develop a custom Atmos system with more than 40 surround speakers and subwoofers mounted overhead and placed behind the curved screen. Surrounding the theater is a spherical glass addition, 150-feet in diameter, encasing the rooftop Dolby Family Terrace that provides panoramic views of Los Angeles and the famous Hollywood sign. We ensured appropriate sound isolation between the Geffen Theater and the rooftop terrace located directly above the theater.

Inclusive audio design and accessibility was a priority for every space involved in this project in order to provide a robust experience for all. Induction loop systems enable sound to be beamed directly into hearing aid devices through a magnetic field within the theaters, exhibits, and the ticket and information booths.

Project Information

300,000 SF
1,000-seat David Geffen Theater
288-seat Ted Mann Theater
Dolby Family Terrace
Saban Building
Spielberg Family Gallery
Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery
Shirley Temple Education Studio
Exhibit Space
Historic Renovation

Design Team

Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Architect of Record: Gensler
Theater Consultant: Arup Theater Consultants
Exhibit Designer: WHY Architects

Budget

$482 Million

Scope of Work

Architectural Acoustics
Sound Isolation
Mechanical System Noise Control
Audio and Video Systems Design

Client

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Completion Date

2021

LEED Rating

LEED Gold