The new Academy of Motion Pictures Museum (old Wilshire May Co Building)

What is happening along Wilshire Fairfax area, once called the "Miracle Mile", is amazing. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, there at the La Brea Tar Pits, has promised gentrification of the area forever. Well, now it is really happening at war speed (for LA).  (A map with areas circled is at the bottom.)

The corner of Fairfax and Wilshire in 1951. The May Co building is Streamline Modern,  built in 1939

You may know this area as home to Park La Brea, if you're older. Or... south of The Grove, if you're really younger. Or.... the area where the Volcano goes off if you, like my husband, loves the movie "Volcano!". 

But on the corner of Fairfax and Wilshire has sat the flagship Deco store of May Company (a now defunct Department Store). When Macy's purchased the May Co / Robinsons Department stores, the flagship store was put into preservation with the idea that someday it might be incorporated into the LA County Museum complex.

Ultimately, after lots of issues, the LA County Museum of Art, just east of the building, expanded towards Fairfax. Across the street (on the south side) the Petersen Auto Museum compleed a radical overhaul of it's building. And then the Academy of Motion Pictures  agreed to put it's museum there in the old MayCo building. And decided to build a theater extension for showing films.  It looks cool!

It is under way now. In some pictures were it says RPBW that is the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Renzo Piano is an Italian Architect that did the Pompidou Center (Paris), the Shard (London) and the New York Times tower to note a few.  This looks amazing!

Rendering: Looking down Fairfax towards Wilshire.

Rendering: Looking across Fairfax from the old Googie diner lot.

In progress shot

Under construction

View from the top

Schematic

Drone view: above Park La Brea

Red circle is the LA County Museum complex. Lower green is the original Marie Callenders (which was the inspiration for the diner "Mildred's" in Mildred Pierce.  Between them, the green space is the La Brea Tar Pits.

Upper green is the original Farmer's Market and The Grove shopping center.

The weird grid layout in between is "Park La Brea". Where everyone either lived or had a friend that lived there. (I had many but Lauren Pfau was the one that stands out).