AMMP – David Geffen Theater

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue along Los Angeles’ Museum Mile, is a museum dedicated to exhibiting the art and science of movies.

Geffen Theater Project Overview:

The 300,000 square-foot facility is the nation’s first, large-scale museum entirely dedicated to the art, science, craft, business, and history of movies. The museum features exhibits from the Academy’s collection of 12 million photographs and tens-of-thousands of posters, artifacts and other objects exhibiting the past, present, and future of the movie industry. Visitors have the feeling that they are in a movie in immersive exhibits. The signature architectural jewel of this new museum is glass encased spherical structure known as the David Geffen Theater. Held aloft by plinths (columns), this globe-like structure houses a state-of-the-art 1,000 seat theater and will host a range of performances, screenings, premieres, and events with world’s leading filmmakers. Located atop the glass-covered sphere is a glass-surrounded, but not fully enclosed, event space that offers sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills.  The Academy Museum was awarded the LEED Gold Certification by U.S. Green Building Council, and opened in September 2021.

This project was selected by Domus – the magazine for Architecture, Design and Art Lovers – as one 13 most anticipated buildings of 2021.

DBM Vircon’s Scope of Work:

Working with Gerdau, DBM Vircon’s scope included providing both 2D and 3D/BIM rebar detailing of the complex sphere structure. All BIM work was done using TEKLA RBD-C program. What made the BIM detailing on this project especially challenging was the labyrinth of close concrete reinforcing in the belly slabs and transfer girders at the bottom of the sphere, the complex reinforcing layout in the spherical walls, trapezoidal columns, and the ring beams, and the circumferential bar layout with numerous openings in the dome slab.