• By Vivian Lee
• April 09, 2019

Construction Watch: National Air and Space Museum

On April 5, 2018 NCPC approved preliminary and final site and building plans for the National Air and Space Museum’s building exterior, vestibules, and site improvements. The Smithsonian Institution’s most-visited museum will remain open throughout the seven-year construction period, although there will be phased closures of galleries, shops, theaters, and the café during construction.

During its review, the Commission requested that the Smithsonian continue to consult with NCPC staff on any future mockups. The Smithsonian plans to have several mockups to test different combinations of color patterns, veining, and glazing.

The museum is located on a ten-acre site on the National Mall in Southwest Washington, DC. The site is bound by Jefferson Drive to the north, 4th Street to the east, 7th Street to the west, and Independence Avenue to the south. In order to address building deficiencies and protect the museum’s collection, the project will replace the building’s exterior stone cladding and glazing, add an entrance vestibule at the north side, upgrade the museum’s landscaping and accessibility, and improve circulation on the museum grounds.

The Commission supported Colonial Rose Granite as the preferred cladding and encouraged the Smithsonian to increase the percentage of stone panels with color variation and horizontal pattern to avoid a monolithic façade. The Commission supported the sandblasted finish because it will provide a timeless effect similar to the museum’s existing Tennessee Pink marble (limestone) cladding.

Representatives from Smithsonian, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and NCPC reviewed an aesthetic and performance mockup at a testing facility in York, Pennsylvania on November 27, 2018. The mockup included a range of tonal variations and patterns of Colonial Rose Granite, two sealant color options, different types of glazing opacities, frit patterns, and included skylights and curtain wall mullions. More mockups are planned for later this year.

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