George Lucas's New UFO-Like Museum Will Be in Chicago - Video

Last year, when George Lucas announced he’d chosen Chicago as the site of his new museum, we didn't know he meant the windy city would be adding a spaceship to its collection of architectural high-rises.

Yesterday, at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria, Chinese architect Ma Yansong of MAD architects revealed his design plans for the futuristic Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts. The new building will house Lucas’ personal collection of Star Wars memorabilia and artwork, which has to be a strange group of items that perhaps require a strange building for housing.

“I want our building to blend into this [park] environment, so you can’t tell where is the building and where is the park,” said Chinese architect Ma Yansong of the waterfront location chosen for the project. I don’t know what building he’s looking at, but it’s hard to imagine this UFO-like structure blending into anything, let alone landscape.

The location itself has caused quite a bit of controversy. Anyone who’s visited Chicago knows there are two things Chicagoans love: the Bears, and watching the Bears. The Lucas building would require the removal of two parking lots fans of the Chicago Bears currently use for tailgating purposes. Lucas Museum directors attempted to avoid having any issues with raging football fans, and said they would allow them to host their pre-game drink on the landscaped grass area surrounding the building. Smart choice.

The proposed building is a 110 feet tall, seven-story dome-like structure made of stacks of precisely cut stone. The very top features a circular observation deck with 360-degree city to lake views, and a restaurant. Sounds like expensive drinks and a good place to bring your parents when they’re in town. Aside from miscellaneous Lucas stuff, the museum will house four movie theaters and a bottom floor “urban living room.”

If the 400,000 square foot, $400 million project is to actually land on the Chicago shoreline, it won’t happen until 2018. Until then, we can make Jabba the Hutt turns architect jokes.