One year after we dropped by, the concrete base of the of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' new museum is nearing completion, with its signature sphere gearing up to begin construction.

The project, which has reportedly seen its budget swell to $400 million, is being built into a former May Company department store at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.  Its targeted completion has likewise been pushed back one year to Spring 2019.

Designed by Renzo Piano, the iconic structure will eventually serve as the permanent home of AMPAS' collection of filmmaking artifacts, which will be displayed through various galleries, educational spaces and theaters.

The AMPAS Museum serves a prelude to a larger $600-million rebuild slated for the main LACMA campus.