Kids & Family

George Lucas' Presidio Museum Among Final Three Vying for Crissy Field Spot

Three projects, including one proposed by the Star Wars creator, are vying for a coveted space at Crissy Field in San Francisco. Which one would you like to see become reality? Tell us in the Comments!

This was originally posted on September 17, 2013 at 02:04 PM

Proposals released Tuesday provide extensive details — including colorful building renderings and illustrations — about three different museum and cultural centers competing for the chance to be built on Crissy Field with views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The final proposals, submitted to the Presidio Trust, were unveiled on the Presidio website, marking the final phase of a lengthy process to whittle 16 proposals to three. The Presidio Trust's board is expected to pick a project this fall. 

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The projects include:

It's described as an “open-platform cultural center, showcasing programs that reflect key themes of the Presidio and the creativity of Bay Area and national partners.” It would be shared by local groups and programs and could include art installations to hackathons, film festivals, green-tech expositions, dance performances and lectures on Presidio history, according to the proposal. Other ideas for the project include a “world stage” venue. 

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The Bridge’ is described as a building that’s “itself a case study in sustainable building technologies” that would serve as  “a place to explore the critical social, economic and environmental issues of our time. Rotating exhibits will showcase today’s key challenges, from water conservation to labor practices.” The New York Times described it as a "a 21st-century interactive version of a science fair."

The proposal for the museum, which would showcase some of Lucas’ $1 billion artwork collection, describes the project as “state-of-the art interactive facility that will nurture curiosity, ignite imaginations and broaden the spirit of adventure for children and families, schools and educators, as well as visitors from around the world.” The proposal included a lengthy and partial list of proposed partners, including the Walt Disney Family Museum, Apple, Autodesk, NASA and Johnson Space Center, Pixar, Smithsonian Institution, The Fashion Institute Museum and the YMCA.

All three proposals include on-site dining and appear to focus on using sustainable design practices. The designs of the Presidio Exchange and Bridge/Sustainability Institute had a modern look, while the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum has a more classical-appearing design.

Lucas told the New Yorks Times in an interview that Presidio staff and board members “stalled” for years on the project and “snubbed his taste in architecture.” Lucas said if his project is rejected, he will build the museum in Chicago.

Lucas’s museum proposal lists San Anselmo resident Lucas and his new wife, Melody Hobson, on the board of the directors, as well as Robert Bradley, chief operating officer of Skywalker Properties and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.

Lucas has earned national attention and support for his proposal and won the support of countless entertainment, government and education leaders.

The Lucas Cultural Arts Museum proposal also includes letters of support from San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Governor Jerry Brown, Congressman George Miller, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Francis Coppola, Diane Disney Miller (the daughter of Walt Disney)  and many other arts and entertainment heavy hitters, including Thomas Rockwell, director of exhibits at the Exploratorium who is the grandson of Norman Rockwell, whose work is widely represented in Lucas’ personal collection that would be displayed at the museum.

Lucas, who recently unveiled statues in a San Anselmo park he donated to the community and explained to a large crowd that Star Wars and Indiana Jones were created in Marin, has said it’s significant to have a museum in San Francisco because it’s “the home of” digital art, including the companies PixarDreamworks and Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic.

He's willing to invest up to $700 million in the project, according to the New York Times. 

The Crissy Field site is a former commissary that is currently occupied by Sports Basement, which will be relocated.

The teams will publicly present their proposals at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Herbst at the Presidio, 385 Moraga Ave. 

The Presidio Trust board will discuss the projects Oct. 24. Comments can be submitted online here at the Presidio website.

 Lucas garnered national attention in 2012 for his decision to pull the plug on his plans for Grady Ranch in Marin.

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