Emmy is home!
After a long rest while her home was being remodeled, the iconic Emmy statue has again taken its place at the center of the Television Academy's NoHo campus.
Emmy is a large-scale replica of an actual Primetime Emmy statuette, which was designed in 1948 by television engineer Louis McManus. The statue took 11 months to create and required the work of 45 separate craftsmen. The pure silicon and bronze statue was erected in the former building’s Hall of Fame area in 1991.
On Friday, April 15, as winds in the Los Angeles area reached speeds of 60 miles per, hour toppling trees and power lines, Emmy weathered all storms aboard a flatbed truck making its way up the 101 Freeway.
“We’ve done some cool stuff, but this takes the cake,” was a comment made by one crew member to another, as Emmy pulled up, nestled in a padded blue quilt to keep her from getting scratched. As strong gusts bent the tops of nearby palm trees, as many as five workers at a time maneuvered Emmy onto a crane to be lifted from the truck.
The operation took over two hours, with the workers from the transport company making sure that the statue was secure every foot of the way.
She now stands on a pedestal and at the center of the building’s new courtyard. Soon, she will be polished, cleaned and surrounded by new plants.
“The return of the statue as the centerpiece of the Television Academy campus was thrilling to witness, and a milestone signifying that our construction project is nearing completion,” Television Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum said in a letter to members.
The 18-foot, 1,750-pound statue had been crated and stored 20 miles away in Boyle Heights for over a year, since demolition of the old theater began in late August 2014, just after that year’s Emmys.
At that time, the Academy embarked on construction of its new building, slated for a late Spring opening. The new space features an all-new theater and headquarters, and Emmy will be the focal point of a circular drive that will allow for a graceful drop-off and entry process, as well as the extraordinary Red Carpets for which the Television Academy is known.
