Archinect - News

Perkins&Will will design the new Bezos Learning Center for the National Air and Space Museum

2023-06-06T15:03:00-04:00

Perkins&Will has just been announced as the lead designers of the new Bezos Learning Center at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The firm’s winning design was selected over a shortlist that included five anonymous proposals submitted by leading global architectural firms.

The center is supposed to be enacted in the space once occupied by Gyo Obata’s now-demolished glass pyramid structure from 1988. Once completed, the new addition will entail approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibition spaces, a rooftop terrace, a public observatory, and dining options. Its spiraling form is meant to evoke the shape of the galaxy. Total costs for the project are expected to be around $130 million.

“The spiral galaxy — our source of creative inspiration — is all about infinite possibilities,” the project's lead designer, Ralph Johnson, says of its conceptual approach and vision. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the Smithsonian Institut...

Architecture students will reconstruct an original Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome at the National Museum of American History this summer

2023-04-14T14:00:00-04:00

A new collaborative project between the Catholic University of America and the National Museum of American History will offer architecture students the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to repair and reconstruct one of Buckminster Fuller’s famed geodesic domes in the hopes of presenting such structures as a viable resilience tool to be used by designers in the ongoing fight against climate change.

Beginning in early July, a group of students from the school’s undergrad and graduate programs will work together on the reconstruction of the more than 70-year-old The Weatherbreak design created by Fuller protégé Jeffrey Lindsay in the museum’s Flag Hall.

Under the guidance of assistant professor Tonya Ohnstad, lead fabricator Lorenzo Cardim DeAlmeida, and museum curator Abeer Saha, the group will explore its potential usage as affordable, resilient housing. This is the first time the structure will be displayed to the public since entering the museum’s collection and represents the first ...

National Air and Space Museum Holds Architecture Challenge for Architecture Students and Young Professionals

2023-03-17T15:00:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum recently announced its Student Architecture and Design Challenge for the design of an element for its new Bezos Learning Center. Through this challenge, teams of architecture and design students and early-career architects will be challenged to design an architectural element for the exterior structure that visualizes and communicates scientific, aviation, astronomy or aerospace concepts in an effective way. It is free to both apply and participate in this challenge.

The competition invites students to propose a new design that will sit next to the current museum. Image courtesy of The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

ELIGIBILITY

As a team challenge, all entries must be composed of teams of two or three people. Teams can consist of a mixture of design and/or architecture students, recent graduates, and professionals with experience of five years or less.

Not s...

Smithsonian American Art Museum selects Selldorf Architects to lead its much-needed revitalization

2023-02-07T17:32:00-05:00

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) has announced Selldorf Architects as the lead designer for an effort aimed at revitalizing its public spaces and permanent collections galleries for the first time since 2006.

The scope of the project entails the creation of a new dedicated space for time-based media art and other types of displays in line with the museum’s “new vision.” Selldorf’s design will “highlight the grandeur of the historical architecture” of the Greek Revival Old Patent Office Building while simultaneously creating the new spaces. A press release mentioned the firm’s engagement with the Smithsonian Institution on the project dating back to 2020.

“This reinstallation project will invite essential conversations around inclusion and diversity now central to both public discourse and the daily work of arts organizations,” SAAM's Director, Stephanie Stebich, said in a statement. “It will shed new light on American artists whose voices will be more prominent in convers...

Selldorf will join SOM for the Hirshhorn Museum's vital third revitalization phase

2022-10-31T18:03:00-04:00

Washington, D.C.’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced that a joint team of SOM and Selldorf Architects will lead a major modernization of its now 48-year-old Gordon Bunshaft-designed facility in the last of a three-phase campus revitalization that will begin in 2025, according to the Washington Post.

The upgrades will cover the interior and plaza area and are being undertaken in order to help the museum adjust to a 40% rise in attendance that has been recorded since 2017.

The project will address important areas such as storage, stormwater management, accessibility, vertical transportation, and other upgrades to its galleries and public areas to correspond with the museum’s needs. In a press statement, Selldorf co-principal Chris Cooper said: “Ensuring that the building is better able to accommodate the museum’s ambitious programs, while serving a larger and more diverse audience, is of critical importance. And we need to be able to do so while making the building ...

PETA calls for bird-friendly glass to be included in the Smithsonian's new Bezos Learning Center

2022-09-19T17:23:00-04:00

Animal rights group PETA has issued a strong demand to the five anonymous architects in the running to design the new $130 million Bezos Learning Center at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C.

In response to the Smithsonian Institution’s recent unveiling of the final quintet of prospective designs, the group penned a letter in which it implored NASM Director Christopher Browne to require the use of bird-friendly glass in the final winning construction. PETA was alarmed by the use of reflective glass in the majority of the proposals and noted that the city lies along a major migratory route that could further endanger the lives of avian species who are killed by up to a billion annually as a result of similar buildings.

“Reflective glass windows lead to deadly crashes, while animal-friendly design elements such as masking films, frits, and ultraviolet patterns can save untold numbers of birds’ lives,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a separa...

Five anonymous proposals for the Bezos Learning Center: Can you spot the starchitects?

2022-09-09T11:18:00-04:00

Five design proposals have been unveiled for the Bezos Learning Center at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. The $130 million Smithsonian scheme, funded by a $200 million donation from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will serve as an education center on the topics of air and space exploration.

The center will be built on the site of a recently-demolished glass pyramid pavilion designed by the late architect Gyo Obata, which opened in 1988. In its place, the Bezos Learning Center will measure approximately 50,000 square feet, holding restaurants, exhibition spaces, a rooftop terrace, and a public observatory.

The five proposals have been made publicly available for comment on the National Air and Space Museum website until September 19th. While the architectural team behind each scheme remains anonymous, the scale and profile of the commission has no doubt attracted some of the largest names in the industry.

A timeline for the selection of winners, and a program for co...

Future National Asian Pacific American Museum passes first major test

2022-05-02T18:21:00-04:00

A national museum of Asian Pacific American history and culture is one major step closer to reality after the US House of Representatives unanimously approved on 26 April a bill to create an eight-person commission to study the feasibility of establishing such an institution in Washington, DC. The bill now heads to the Senate.

The bill was sponsored by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who represents the sixth congressional district of New York, and was passed by the House just days ahead of the beginning of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been pivotal in contributing to the growth and prosperity of our nation since its founding,” Meng said. “We have helped make the United States the greatest country in the world, but unfortunately many remain unaware of the crucial role we’ve played throughout our history. It’s time for that to change and creating a national museum would ensure there is a physical space to commemorate and share our story with future generations.”

If plans for the proposed museum work out as envisioned, it would join the planned American Women’s History Museum and the recently approved National Museum of the American Latino.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016 as one of the latest additions to ...

D.C.'s Hirshhorn Museum gets the final go-ahead from the National Capital Planning Commission

2021-12-06T13:32:00-05:00

The end is finally here for the saga surrounding artist Hiroshi Sugimoto's reworking of the Washington, D.C. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden following an approval Thursday from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).

The NCPC go-ahead comes after another round of discord which began in March when Sugimoto allegedly threatened to quit the project over an amended plan which would have cut out his introduction of a stacked stone wall in Gordon Bunshaft’s original centerpiece water feature in the museum’s sculpture garden.

Image courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

The July proposal itself came with a bit of controversy as opponents of the plan were quick to point out that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which governs any new Smithsonian development, was replete of any landscape architects as recently appointed by President Joe Biden.

“The art of our time is often immersive, interactive and ready to break free of walls, and we believe that a museum of the ...

A ‘Palace of Wonders’: Inside the soon-to-reopen Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building

2021-10-20T18:52:00-04:00

For the last 17 years, “this gorgeous piece of architecture” has “sat shrouded in mystery” in the middle of the National Mall, said Ms. Goslins, invoking the metaphor of Sleeping Beauty.

Similar to other formerly dormant cultural institutions, the reopening of the 140-year-old Arts and Industries Building will coincide with an exhibition titled FUTURES. The show goes on view November 20th and will feature a hodgepodge of art, architecture, and technology like the Virgin Hyperloop train and Bjarke Ingels’ Oceanix utopia.

The AIB's latest installation was designed by the Rockwell Group and will close its doors for the second time to make room for interior renovations that will commence once the exhibition ends in July of next year.

“The conversation that we have right now as a country about the future is pretty dysfunctional,” director Rachel Goslins told the Times. “It is mostly ‘here are all the things you should be afraid of because that’s what gets the clicks or what’s sexy.’ We have so much help imagining what could go wrong, but we don’t have that much help imagining what could go right.”

...

Mark Cuban just donated a trove of World Trade Center drawings to the Cooper Hewitt

2021-09-10T11:56:00-04:00

In 1962, Diniz was hired by architect Minoru Yamasaki as part of the team designing the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. His drawings in the WTC portfolio show viewers the experience of monolithic structures in the context of Lower Manhattan and inside the buildings themselves. The drawings were intended to illustrate Manhattan as a center of international business.

Carlos Diniz' drawings occupy a revered place in architectural history, and his World Trade Center drawings have been by and large kept out of public collections until now. The illustrator was first hired by Minoru Yamasaki in 1962 to give the public a sense of place and scale caused by the architecture that would later become the domineering experience for users of the buildings after they were completed in 1973.

"It strikes an emotional chord with every American," Cuban told Axios. "I wanted the actual drawings to be where any American can see them, and the Smithsonian was the right home."

The Dallas Morning News has more on the billionaire's gift here.

Hiroshi Sugimoto's redesign of the Hirshhorn Museum sculpture garden is finally approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

2021-07-19T12:34:00-04:00

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has approved plans for artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto's redesign of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

This vote clears way for the Smithsonian to go to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) for their final approval. The NCPC previously gave preliminary approvals alongside the CFA in the spring of 2019.

Images courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

The plan had previously come under fire after the Cultural Landscape Foundation, a group that advocates the interests of historic landscape sites around the country, protested, claiming the artist's vision would harm original elements of the Hirshhorn campus designed by Pritzker Prize winner Gordon Bunshaft.

Images courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.

The museum has held a line against the protests, claiming that Bunshaft and landscape designer Lester Collins had both looked to Japanese gardens as inspir...

Smithsonian exhibition will allow visitors to build cities together in virtual space

2021-04-29T10:20:00-04:00

The Smithsonian has announced plans for an interactive exhibition inviting visitors to collaborate with AI, and each other, in designing their ideal city. The “FUTURES” exhibition, opening in November 2021, will be among the first to pilot an experimental new way of designing inclusive cities, which the organizers say, “invites the public to bring their creativity and sense of play to co-design better, greener communities in real time, introducing a powerful generative artificial intelligence as their new design partner.”

'Futures that Work' of FUTURES, in the West Hall of the Arts + Industries Building, rendering, Courtesy of Rockwell Group

Hosted by the museum’s historic Arts + Industries Building, FUTURES will feature exhibits that explore human collaboration, and puts forward visions for how people can become more connected and inclusive in everyday life. Designed by architect David Rockwell and his award-winning firm Rockwell Group, the exhibition offers almost 32,000 square fee...

Hirshhorn Museum: revised sculpture garden designs and Sugimoto threatening to quit

2021-03-17T13:27:00-04:00

The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden announced today the completion of a sixth public consultation meeting for the revitalization of the Sculpture Garden by artist/architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. The public forum, held March 10 via Zoom, presented the goals of the project, the programmatic rationale and revised designs for the reflecting pool.

The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden revitalization saga is entering a new chapter: while the museum recently released revised designs for the reflecting pool, the centerpiece of the sunken sculpture garden completed in 1974 by Gordon Bunshaft, during a March 10 Section 106 online meeting, the Cultural Landscape Foundation points out that the overhaul's designer, Hiroshi Sugimoto, had threatened to resign from the project over a key design element — the introduction of stacked stone walls in the current modernist landscape.

Landmark Smithsonian building to reopen for special exhibition

2021-02-23T14:31:00-05:00

Closed to the public since 2004, the Arts and Industries Building will reopen temporarily in November with Futures, an exhibition-cum-festival that renews the building's function as an incubator of new ideas and is the centrepiece of the Smithsonian's 175th-anniversary celebration this year.

According to The Art Newspaper, "The show includes some 150 prototypes, working experiments, site-specific art installations and speculative designs such as a flying car and a support robot to reduce loneliness, as well as historical inventions like the first telegraph and first video game drawn from 15 of the Smithsonian's museums and research centres."

Hirshhorn Museum: sculpture garden revitalization remains contested

2021-01-13T14:20:00-05:00

Facing challenges from a federal planning authority and advocacy groups, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC is under pressure to revamp or justify elements of a significant redesign of its sunken sculpture garden.

The heated debate over Hiroshi Sugimoto's plans to revitalize the sunken sculpture garden at the Hirshhorn Museum, completed in 1974 by Gordon Bunshaft, is dragging on.

"At an online meeting on 3 December, the federal National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved Sugimoto’s preliminary site development plans with the exception of the proposed changes to the reflecting pool and inner partition wall," reports The Art Newspaper.

Previously on Archinect: Advocates ready for battle over Hirshhorn Museum garden 'revitalization'

"Commissioners asked that the Hirshhorn explore an alternative to the expanded pool design that would retain the historic dimensions of the existing one. It also recommended that the Smithsonian find a way to make the new stacked stone walls more compatible with, while still distinct from, the material that Bunshaft used for his historic perimeter wall."

Meanwhile next door, the Smithsonian just scaled back elements inside the BIG-designed $2 billion Smith...

Smithsonian scales back BIG's $2 billion redesign plan

2021-01-12T14:46:00-05:00

[...] a new Smithsonian administration has jettisoned the eye-popping elements of the $2 billion design by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, opting instead for a dramatically downsized version. Set to be presented publicly for the first time this week, the scaled-back plan focuses on the renovation and restoration of the James Renwick-designed Castle and the adjacent Arts and Industries Building (AIB), another National Historic Landmark designed by Adolf Cluss and Paul Schulze.

First presented in 2014, hotly debated in the following years, revised in 2018, and expected to start construction this year, some elements inside the Bjarke Ingels Group-designed $2 billion Smithsonian South Mall Campus redevelopment have been scaled back by the institution's new administration in favor of a downsized plan, according to The Washington Post.

Rendering: Brick Visual, image courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group.

"Instead, the revised project calls for interior and exterior restoration of the Castle, interior and underground work on the AIB and a new central underground utility plant serving those structures and, eventually, the Freer and the underground Quadrangle building," reports the paper.

Update Jan 14, 2021: A previous version of the article gave the impression that the master plan had been completely dropped. We have corrected it, following feedback we have received from Aran Coakley, Associate and Project Manager, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group. BIG developed the South Mall ...

Howard University's Bradford Grant named Instagram artist-in-residence at National Portrait Gallery

2020-08-19T14:48:00-04:00

Architect and educator Bradford C. Grant has been named as the inaugural Instagram artist-in-residence by Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Grant, who is a professor in the Department of Architecture at the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture, will "provide engaging insight into the museum’s programs and its community through his sketch work and made-from-life drawings," according to the university's website. Grant's work will be shown via the gallery's Instagram account, @smithsoniannpg, throughout his residency, which will last through the Fall 2020 semester.

In a press release National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet writes, “Bradford Grant is a talented member of the D.C. community, with a gifted eye for finding and documenting stories,” adding, “Brad’s work as a sketch artist is rooted in both his training as an architect and in his fascination with the intersection of space, structure, community and culture. We hop...

National Museum of the American Latino heading to National Mall in Washington, D.C.

2020-07-27T17:10:00-04:00

The United States House of Representatives has passed the National Museum of the American Latino Act, a bill that paves the way for the creation of a new Smithsonian Institute-affiliated museum celebrating the histories and achievements of Latinos in the United States.

The bill's text explains the "legacy of Latinos is deeply rooted in the very fabric of the history, democracy, freedom, and economic opportunity of the United States," and that despite this fact, "there exists no national museum within the Smithsonian Institution that is devoted to the documentation and explication of Latino life, art, history, and culture."

Previously on Archinect: "National museum dedicated to women's history takes a step forward." The Smithsonian Building in Washington D.C. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user Noclip.

The bill lays the groundwork for the creation of a new museum that "will be the keystone for people in the United States and other Smithsonian Institution visitors to learn about Latino ...

Cultural organizations band together to bring 3D scanned heritage objects into public domain

2020-02-27T15:31:00-05:00

27 cultural organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, have signed on to an initiative that aims to bring their 3D scanned cultural heritage collections into the public domain.

The initiative, launched by Sketchfab, "allows museums and similar organizations to share their 3D data more openly" by having them release scans of objects, artworks, and other collection items into the so-called Creative Commons 0 Public Domain Dedication realm.

Side Chair by Smithsonian Institution on Sketchfab

The designation allows for these scans to be used in creative and commercial endeavors without requiring new users to request permission from these institutions if they follow certain guidelines.

According to Sketchfab, the license requires that one "must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made," it also allows for users to "copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without ask...

National museum dedicated to women's history takes a step forward

2020-02-20T18:45:00-05:00

The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill establishing a council that will lead the planning, design, and construction of a new museum slated for Washington, D.C. dedicated to women's history.

The bill—H.R. 1980, Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act—passed the house chamber by a 374-37 bipartisan vote. The bill now heads to the United States Senate for final approval.

The Act creates a 25-person advisory council made up of scholars, congressmembers, and museum board members that will report to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Museum with recommendations on how to proceed with the creation of the new facility, which will funded half by the federal government and half by other sources. In part, CNN reports, this board will be tasked with designating a site for the future museum, with sites on or near the National Mall given the highest priority.

A joint statement from the bill's sponsors reads, "By creating a Smithsonian museum dedicated to telling Ameri...

Wedding dress dispute forces head of NYC's Cooper Hewitt to resign

2020-02-14T13:54:00-05:00

Baumann was forced to resign as director of the Cooper Hewitt [...] following an investigation by the Smithsonian’s inspector general into potential problems regarding the procurement of [a wedding] dress and the wedding space. Her resignation was made public on Feb. 7, without explanation [...]. Two people with knowledge of the Smithsonian’s decision making [...]said that the investigation had turned up evidence of an appearance of a conflict of interest.

Robin Pogrebin of The New York Times delves into the circumstances surrounding the abrupt resignation of Caroline Baumann, the director of the Cooper Hewit Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.

The museum is partially funded by the federal government and for that reason is subject to strict ethical oversight. At the heart of the matter is whether Baumann inappropriately received a discounted price for a dress she wore to her wedding and whether the use of Copper Hewitt spaces was traded in exchange for Baumann's use of the privately-held facilities where the wedding took place.

Zena Howard: Architecture's powerhouse strategist and advocate for diversity

2019-02-12T15:58:00-05:00

There are little more than 400 African American female architects in a profession of over 110,000. Although an improvement over the roughly 90 that existed when I entered the profession, the current numbers continue to reflect the obvious dearth of women like me. [...] My primary advice to young people is to seek mentorship as early as possible. Take advantage of many architects like myself who are willing to expose you to our studios, our staff, our work, and our own experiences.

If you're unaware of her name, you know of her work. Zena Howard's contributions to the architecture profession are rooted in design strategy and advocacy. With over 25 years of experience, the seasoned architect has worked on several notable projects. As Principal and Managing Director of Perkins+Will's North Carolina practice, her work is a reflection of her passion as an architect, mentor, team builder, and strategist. Several of Howard's projects focuses on public and private institutions, museums, and other educational typologies.

Earning her Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from the University of Virginia, Howard's expertise revolves around creating and leading design projects in sustainability, inclusive design, and historical and cultural buildings. Her background in LEED certification projects allows her to drive projects that no...

David Adjaye and his take on identity and narrative in architecture

2018-12-06T09:24:00-05:00

At this year's World Architecture Festival, David Adjaye spoke towards the festival's theme:identity. Recognized as a prominent force in the architecture community, Adjaye's own design style and focus has played towards architecture's social responsibility. During the 45-minute lecture in Amsterdam, Adjaye discussed his own design process explaining how a narrative can be derived from form and materials. "I'm always interested in forgotten stories - to lift something between comfortable and uncomfortable." Projects like the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the National Cathedral of Ghana were brought up as examples.

However, the high point of the talk was when Adjaye provided his views regarding where the industry is headed. Commenting on how costly architecture is becoming, especially in the West, Adjyae pointed out "projects now cost billions and its kind of crazy." Although some ...

Smithsonian London outpost confirmed

2018-04-10T14:16:00-04:00

The Smithsonian Institution has confirmed that it will work with the Victoria and Albert Museum to set up a joint gallery and exhibition programme in East London, on the former Olympic site. Yesterday (9 April) the Smithsonian’s regents (trustees) gave formal approval for their first base outside the US.

We first reported about the Smithsonian Institution's interest in setting up its first-ever satellite gallery outside of the U.S. back in 2015. A lot has changed since then, and evolved, scaled-back plans now foresee a collaboration with the V&A.

DC's African American History and Culture Museum allowing walk-ins in April

2018-04-06T13:45:00-04:00

If you still haven’t been able to sneak your way into the newest museum on Washington DC’s National Mall, April may be your best bet. Last week, the museum announced that the month would feature Walk-Up Wednesdays, allowing people who haven’t scored entry passes to go into the museum on a first-come, first-served basis, a pilot program to test no-pass entry.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture located in Washington DC opened back in 2016, and has been solidly booked ever since. To help visitors gain entry who were unable to procure tickets, the museum is introducing Walk-Up Wednesdays for the month of April.

Founding director Lonnie G. Bunch III stated, “We don’t want to disappoint our visitors by reaching capacity and having them wait in long lines for space to become available inside the galleries. The goal of this pilot program is to provide greater access for the public while maintaining the safety and security of our visitors.”

BIG presents revised master plan for controversial Smithsonian campus overhaul

2018-01-19T19:54:00-05:00

As the Smithsonian Institute's massive $2 billion redevelopment plans struggle to gain both public and governmental support, BIG, the firm heading the project, has released a revised proposal. Controversy surrounding the original master plan has been centered largely around the changes that would be made to the Enid A. Haupt Garden, and the seemingly, unnecessarily high costs for the overall overhaul.

Responding to concerns previously voiced by Members of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), local decision makers, residents and garden enthusiasts, the firm has now presented updated designs. “Since our last proposal, we’ve been listening very closely to the public. We wanted the general feeling and fondness for the Haupt Garden to remain the same while also increasing its enjoyment and use, offering educational elements and after hour programs,” expressed Bjarke Ingels while presenting the new proposal to CFA yesterday.

Image by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group + Brick

Major changes to the desig...

Smithsonian’s $2 billion redevelopment plan, designed by BIG, comes under fire

2018-01-09T20:16:00-05:00

It's been just over three years since the Smithsonian Institute announced their massive, 2-billion-dollar redevelopment plans. Designed by BIG, the intended overhaul includes a renovation of the Smithsonian castle, expanded visitor services, a new courtyard and mall-facing entrances and walkways to improve visibility and accessibility. In addition, the plans also call for a bold change to the Enid A. Haupt Garden, a 4.2 acre public garden which would be demolished in Ingels' vision in order to raise its edges 30 feet in the air.

Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.

Civic organizations, garden enthusiasts and historic preservation groups have spent two years fighting these plans. Upset by the overhaul, back in April, the D.C. Historic Preservation Board got the Smithsonian Quadrangle to be listed as a historic district in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites, though that designation does not actually grant any legal protections to the Smithsonian's four buildings or the Enid A. Haupt G...

FreelandBuck's "Parallax Gap" installation goes up at the Renwick Gallery

2017-07-14T13:31:00-04:00

Created by architecture firm FreelandBuck, the piece consists of nine different illusions that click into place only if you stand at the exact right point underneath each of them and gaze upward. “We want people to wander through this room and really figure out this puzzle for themselves, while also enjoying this wonderful, confusing, complex shifting of patterns and geometries,” Renwick curator-in-charge Abraham Thomas says. “Touch wood, there won’t be collisions.”

Back in May, the Los Angeles-based studio FreelandBuck was selected to design and install a temporary ceiling in the Renwick Gallery’s Grand Salon in the Smithsonian. This is a first for the gallery that plans on turning this into a recurring installation series called "Above the Renwick." The firms project, which utilizes digital technology to achieve the trompe l'oeil effect, recreates iconic American ceilings from quintessential buildings such as D.C's Eisenhower Executive Building and SF's Palace of Fine Arts. The visual puzzle opened to visitors July 1st and will be on display through the rest of the year.

FreelandBuck craft a temporary trompe l'oeil ceiling for the Smithsonian

2017-05-19T12:54:00-04:00

The Los Angeles-based studio FreelandBuck has been selected to design and install a temporary ceiling in the Renwick Gallery’s Grand Salon in the Smithsonian, the first in what is expected to be a recurring installation series called Above the Renwick Installation.

Their project draws on the tradition of trompe l’oeil ceilings, using various techniques to create an illusion of depth. The design comprises a “catalog” of various notable American architectural styles, brought to life with 21st century technology.

“Trompe l’oeil illusion functions from a single key point – the center of a nave or directly under a dome,” they write. “From other points of view, the illusion malfunctions: figures appear suddenly out of scale, space flattens out, or an entire dome seems to change orientation. Given the constant stream of visual illusion we encounter every day, the glitches may now fascinate more than the intended illusion. The Renwick installation amplifies and coordinates these gaps, opening...