‘Gleaming spacecraft,’ ‘Floating amoeba,’ ‘Contradiction-filled landmark’: What critics are saying about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art

Editor’s note (September 22, 2026): This article has been updated with additional perspectives from Michael Kimmelman (NYT), Michael J. Lewis (The Wall Street Journal), Aaron Betsky (ARCHITECT), Karen Wong (CULTURED), and Sam Lubell’s latest piece for Curbed.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened in Los Angeles today after more than a decade of debate, design, and construction.

Coinciding with the opening, critics and media outlets across the United States and beyond have weighed in on the project, expressing mixtures of excitement and skepticism.

Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Sam Lubell describes the design as a “contradiction-filled landmark.” Behind the dramatic architectural expression, Lubell argues, the scheme’s populist message is undercut by conventional galleries and fenced-off rooftops.

“It’s synthetic yet organic, monumental yet welcoming, populist yet elitist,” Lubell notes. “Its architecture c...