The long-anticipated, Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was unveiled earlier this year in Los Angeles. In addition to exhibition facilities, the institution is also home to Fanny’s, an onsite restaurant and café named after Barbra Streisand’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Fanny Brice in the 1968 movie Funny Girl.
Spread across two stories and 10,000 square feet, the eatery was conceptualized by the late architect Osvaldo Maiozzi and completed by locally based Commune Design to blend contemporary style with old Hollywood inspiration.
“We wanted to capture certain elements from that era but in a completely modern way,” says Commune principal Roman Alonso. “There is something about those great iconic restaurants like the [historic LA F&B chain] Brown Derby that made everyone feel glamorous and, of course, you want that but coupled with a big dose of comfort.”
Informed by Piano’s industrial design, Fanny’s is lined with rich wood paneling that echoes the construction of set flats on a film set. Custom light fixtures and curtains reminiscent of scrims are also installed to round out the backlot ambiance. Group and communal tables line the main dining room, while booths are featured in the restaurant’s lounge, where a bar topped with zinc further echoes a sense of history with a Streamline Moderne ethos. Cheeky cinematic murals by locally based artist and illustrator Konstantin Kakanias also serve as key focal points.
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