Warner Bros. broke ground in Burbank Tuesday for its two Second Century Project office towers.

Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, the state-of-the-art, glass buildings will open in 2023 as part of the movie studio’s centennial celebration. Located on the former NBC Studios site off Bob Hope Drive, the new buildings and adjacent campus will be home to 4,000 WB employees and creative collaborators.

“Along with our historic lot, this newly expanded campus will fuel increased creativity, facilitate collaborations and help us attract and retain the world’s best and most diverse talent,” Ann Sarnoff, Warner Bros.’ chair and CEO, said at the unveiling ceremony for a widescreen artists rendering of what the finished site will look like.

Gehry, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, developer Jeffrey M. Worthe (whose Worthe Real Estate Group will build and act as Warner’s landlord for the buildings) and Burbank Mayor Sharon Springer were also onstage for the groundbreaking ceremony.

“There ain’t anything bigger than this project in all of Southern California,” Newsom enthused. “This is a big deal. Those two-plus million hours of work? That’s a big deal. Not just to Burbank, though a big deal to Burbank, but to the entire region and the entire state.”

Worthe, who said it took more than seven years to put the transaction together, estimated the four-year construction project would generate all those work hours Newsom likes.

“It’s a legendary site,” Gehry noted. “I’ve been here many times over the years – not as a movie star or anything like that – and Warner Bros. is a legendary company. We have to create a legendary building for all this legendary history.”

Noting that she’d only been mayor of Burbank for less than four weeks, Springer pointed out that landmark edifices were more than appropriate for one of the planet’s great media towns.

“Yes, Burbank is a world-class city,” Springer said. “We care more (than) about just creating boxes for people to work in. We want our environment to be beautiful and to celebrate our successes with symbols that are not only functional but are truly exceptional.”