[Rendering by ROTO Architects]
Madame Tussaud’s, the world-famous purveyor of wax celebrities, plans to open a Hollywood branch. We certainly hope, but sincerely doubt, that the company sees the irony in a museum dedicated to the image and worship of Hollywood located in Hollywood where the company plans to have celebrities unveil wax figures of themselves. This, dear readers, is a phenomenon that could happen only in L.A.
Anyway, the wax museum plans to build a $55 million facility on the parking lot next door to the Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Once the museum opens, tourists will have the opportunity to view wax figures in two venues; the Hollywood Wax Museum already offers visitors that inanimate celebrity experience. Nearby Hollywood tenants, however, would like to see something besides another wax museum:
"We welcome a development" replacing the parking lot, said landlord Shaul Kuba of CIM Group. "But if it was a high-end fashion store we might be more excited."We’d be more excited with anything that won’t add to the clusterf**k that is already Hollywood Blvd.
· Bright Lights, Big Critics for Wax Museum Plan [L.A. Times]