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Taking NASM into the Future
National Air and Space Museum
National Air and Space Museum
Our modernization of this iconic museum will create a high-performance environment to showcase America’s achievements in aviation and spaceflight. One of the world’s most visited museums, the building welcomes several million visitors every year. We are renewing it inside and out to create a more resilient structure and welcoming visitor experience.
The comprehensive renovation integrates an all-new envelope with engineering systems and infrastructure to improve energy efficiency and environmental conditions for both people and artifacts. New visitor-focused spaces, including a bold entry vestibule and lower-level education area (called the “Launch Pad”), respect the building’s architectural character while enhancing the museum experience.
Through stimulating new exhibition techniques and innovative digital engagement, we will tell exciting and relevant stories in ways that resonate with our modern communication-savvy world.
Renewing an Icon
One of our main goals was to respect and maintain Gyo Obata’s original intent and the museum’s character-defining features as a mid-century design. For major interventions like the complete replacement of the exterior stone cladding, we developed and mocked up several potential solutions to arrive at the best fit.
A New Front Door
An expressive new entry vestibule forms a counterpoint to the rectilinear original structure. Inspired by birds’ wings and early flying machines, the addition will provide a climatized queuing and orientation area for visitors waiting to go through security screening.
Optimizing the Environment & Saving Energy
Transforming NASM into a high-performance museum for the future required innovation and creativity. We applied extensive energy and daylight modeling and materials analyses to inform and drive our integrated solutions. We worked closely with conservators to determine temperature and humidity settings to optimize museum conditions. This yielded the most significant energy reduction results—energy costs are projected to drop by half while protecting the artifacts within the large, glazed atria.
Phased Construction
We developed a complex phasing plan that allows the building to largely remain open to the public during the six-year construction period. The facilities maintenance office and security office will maintain continuous operations throughout construction, moving into temporary spaces as needed.
