May Company Building,, Los Angeles, California Photo by contributor Colby Stearns
The cylinder is so Machine Age. I imagine someone flipping and switch and it rotating, electric bolts shooting everywhere.
From the Hollywood Reporter, on the opening of the building’s major renovation last year:
The former May Building will serve as the main exhibition space for the museum that is scheduled to open in late 2019.
Hundreds of guests gathered at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Tuesday night to get a first look at the newly restored facade of the Saban Building, future home of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Hollywood A-listers in attendance included Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Ron Meyer and Ted Sarandos.
While the museum itself is still nearly a year away from its grand opening, the Saban building, formerly the May Company Building, will serve as its central space for exhibits. Originally built in 1939, the building underwent a full restoration of its exterior, including its limestone facade, which was replaced by 350,000 gold leaf tiles that were sourced from their original manufacturer and used to restore the buildings iconic cylinder.
2005 image from the The Library of Congress: