Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Guthrie Douglas, engineering experts for solar shading systems, has secured a project to provide a specially designed floor mounted, cable guided fabric shading system as part of the complex curved glass façade of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art project, a museum founded by world famous filmmaker George Lucas.

Once completed in 2025, the museum, located in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, will be devoted to all forms of visual storytelling, including painting, photography, sculpture, illustration, comic art, performance, and video.

The four-storey curvaceous building – designed to resemble a spaceship – will stand as a testament to architectural ingenuity. The 300,000 square foot building will feature 100,000 square feet of gallery space, two state-of-the-art theatres and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events.

THE CHALLENGE

We are working alongside our LA based partners, Architectural Window Shades, to provide eleven specially designed cable guided, upward pulling blinds. Ingeniously designed to work with the curved profile of the façade, the system will follow both the slope and curve of the glazing.

THE SOLUTION

The system will be underfloor mounted within a custom trough to provide a seamless installation, allowing the blinds to disappear in the floor when not in use. With the blinds moving through a ‘twist’ trajectory, due to the curve of the façade, the mechanical properties of the fabric are crucial to accommodating the changing angle. For this reason, a fibreglass ‘twill weave’ fabric has been selected, following robust testing at our facilities in Warwick, England. The system has been created to allow for each blind to be deployed to differing heights with each stopping at a different level dependant on the height of the glazing.

Designed by renowned architect MAD Architects, the museum’s design, seamlessly blends form and function, creating expansive, light-infused interiors that will feature Guthrie Douglas’s custom shading solution, which will play a pivotal role in managing daylight in the building.

The shading systems will ensure both visitor comfort and energy efficiency, all while maintaining the aesthetic vision of the space.

The completed project will provide film and art enthusiasts with a vibrant and exciting space to share ideas and encourage creativity. With Guthrie Douglas’s shading solution, they will be able to work, create and communicate in a space developed with optimal comfort and energy efficiency at its heart.