George Lucas isn’t running (or ruining) Star Wars any longer. Instead, he’s been focusing his attention on opening the Lucas Museum of Natural Art in Chicago, IL. The museum released sketches today featuring a building that could come straight from Lucas’ 1977 space opera.
Announced on June 24, 2014, the LMNA will showcase the visual arts , including film and digital art. Lucas has expressed his excitement at the opportunity to work with Chicago’s vibrant art scene.
“We are honored to be partnering with the city of Chicago and the many cultural, educational and community groups that have come forward with ideas about how the LMNA will add to their work. I am humbled to be joining such an extraordinary museum community and to be creating the Museum in a city that has a long tradition of embracing the arts and architecture.”
According to WGN , the museum will cost a reported $300 million .
Designed by the architectural firm MAD , the museum looks to have fallen directly off Lucas’ story boards from a Return of the Jedi pitch meeting. The main building bears a striking resemblance to Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge. The building also features a large, circular observation deck providing views of both downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. The museum will house several thousand feet of exhibition space and is expected to feature both Lucas’ personal collection as well as other revolving showcases.
In their press release announcing the Lucas Museum design concept, MAD expressed their desire to integrate the futuristic concept with the existing Chicago scenery.
“Its uninterrupted stone surfaces are as primitive as it is futuristic, evoking the great achievements of architectural history. It is a place to discover and explore, to communicate and contemplate. More than a building, it is an urban vista for social interaction, bringing people closer to each other and to nature.”
Lucas announced the sale of the Star Wars properties, as well as Lucas Film production company, to entertainment giant Disney in October 2012 for $4.05 billion. According to a previous report by the Inquisitr , Lucas donated a portion of the blockbuster sale to charity. Lucas has since expressed a desire to focus on art films and passion projects now that he no longer has to focus on steering the juggernaut that is Star Wars .
In the meantime, Lucas can look forward to the opening of what looks to be an amazing new Chicago museum. The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art will be located along the Lake Michigan Waterfront and is scheduled to open in 2018.
[Photo courtesy of MAD ]
