The project of a museum for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is nearing fruition, as it has been announced that French architecture firm Atelier Christian de Portzamparc will design the project.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be designed by the French architectural firm, after the academy’s board of governors gave its approval.

According to a statement on moviemuseum.org, the project aims “to create a place to celebrate and explore how film has reflected and shaped world culture.” The site chosen for the future construction is adjacent to the Academy’s existing Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at Fountain Avenue and Vine Street in Hollywood and covers eight acres.

The museum, dedicated to the filmmaking arts and sciences, is meant to offer visitors an authentic taste of Hollywood, “both the place and the industry,” a “real sense of its essence.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that the architecture subcommittee that recommended De Portzamparc includes Steven Spielberg, Curtis Hanson, producer Kathleen Kennedy and production designer Jeannine Oppewall as members.

Academy President Sid Ganis said, “We did it! At least we did this part of it. We have been moving on this for four years now, and we have been inching toward the dream. Now we took a big leap toward the dream.”

Christian De Portzamparc is a renowned architect, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1994 (this is reportedly the architectural equivalent of the Oscar). He has designed the Cité de la Musique and Café Beauborg in Paris, as well as the French Embassy in Berlin and the LVMH Tower in New York City, according to the Times.

Ganis said that after an elaborate and thorough search, De Portzamparc was the “happy and unanimous” choice.

The architect himself has expressed his excitement in being chosen for the special project. “For the world, Hollywood is a name, is a legend, and people are coming for this legend, people who are passionate about movies will be coming, and there will be a place to discover more about movies and about their history,” he told the Daily Variety.

“The area and the neighborhood will change, and this is a chance to create a landmark in what Hollywood will be,” he added.

Fund-raising for the project begins next year, while groundbreaking is scheduled for 2009, reports the Times. The project is expected to be finalized and ready for its grand opening in 2012.