National Museum Of African American History And Culture

The Smithsonian Institution’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture was constructed on the National Mall near the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. The site is approximately five acres in area and bounded by Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets, NW. The site was developed with landscaping and improvements to be used for outdoor museum programs.

The facility program called for a new museum building of approximately 409,000 gross square feet which is a place of collaboration with museums and other organizations to promote the study and appreciation of African American life and its impact on the nation and the world. The new museum includes exhibition galleries, performance and public program spaces, a theater, food service, and retail. Non-public spaces will include a loading dock, collections handling and work rooms, administrative offices, and support spaces. The Corona hangs from the top of the museum with no intermediate support. The museum’s five above-grade levels will be supported by four concrete towers linked at the top by steel trusses.

The design incorporates state-of the-art technologies for exhibits, research, and communications, and the new facility is planned to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Sustainable elements include solar hot water panels on the roof and a geothermal ground water system.