After years of public comment and close collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) has revealed its revised proposal for the Smithsonian Campus master plan in Washington, D.C.
The roughly 17-acre site includes the Castle, the Arts and Industries Building, the Freer Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the mostly subterranean Quadrangle Building, which is home to the National Museum of African Art, the Sackler Gallery of Art and the S. Dillon Ripley Center.
Rendering courtesy of BIG and Brick Visual.
The revised plan reflects the team’s commitment to preserving the character of the Haupt Garden while addressing existing and future needs of the cultural institution. “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,” said Bjarke Ingels in a speech given to members of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), local decision makers, and residents and garden enthusiasts.
Rendering courtesy of BIG and Brick Visual.
The new proposal also makes the National Museum of African Art and the Sackler Gallery more accessible. These areas were hidden beneath the garden and have been “under-enjoyed compared to the value they represent,” according to Ingels.
The new master plan will attempt to improve existing facilities by creating an expanded Visitor Center and a new Education Space, creating clear connections, access points, and visibility between the museums and gardens by reconfiguring the entrance pavilions to the African Art Museum and Sackler Gallery, and replacing aging building mechanical systems, including structural reinforcements of the Castle to withstand potential seismic activity.
Rendering courtesy of BIG and Brick Visual.
The first stage of the plan, the renovation of the Castle, is expected to begin in 2021.
Rendering courtesy of BIG and Brick Visual.
Related Stories
| Jun 22, 2012
Revitalization Efforts Advance in Hackensack, N.J.
Work progresses on Cultural and Performing Arts Center and Atlantic Street Park
| Jun 1, 2012
New BD+C University Course on Insulated Metal Panels available
By completing this course, you earn 1.0 HSW/SD AIA Learning Units.
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 29, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions provides consulting for Phase I of Acadia Gateway Center
Project receives LEED Gold certification.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| May 22, 2012
Casaccio Architects and GYA Architects join to form Casaccio Yu Architects
Architects Lee A. Casaccio, AIA, LEED AP, and George Yu, AIA, share leadership of the new firm.
| May 14, 2012
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture design Seoul’s Dancing Dragons
Supertall two-tower complex located in Seoul’s Yongsan International Business District.
| May 7, 2012
2012 BUILDING TEAM AWARDS: Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital
How a Building Team created a high-tech rehabilitation center for wounded veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
| May 3, 2012
U of Michigan team looking to create highly efficient building envelope designs
The system combines the use of sensors, novel construction materials, and utility control software in an effort to create technology capable of reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
| Apr 19, 2012
Holcim cement plants recognized at PCA Spring Meeting
The Holly Hill plant received the PCA’s Chairman’s Safety Performance Award in recognition of their exceptional health and safety programs. The Theodore plant received the Environmental Performance Award in recognition of the steps they take beyond those required by laws, regulations and permits to minimize their impact on the environment.
