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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...

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...