Smithsonian Museums

As I was researching the Smithsonian Museums, most of which are located along the mall in Washington DC, I came across many similarities in the architecture of the buildings. I found this interesting because the construction timeline from the first museum to the most resent stretches from the mid 1800s to the 2000s. Most likely from museum to museum there was a general consensus about exterior building materials, many of which use Tennessee marble. Some of the more recent museums, such as the Hirshhorn and the National Museum of the American Indian, branch from the older styles. Taking a step back and considering each museum as part of a whole, thread along the mall, they all have a unique quality that also brings a continuity to the branding of Smithsonian Museums as a whole.

Furthermore, there are certain qualities about each of the museums that links them together in a stronger position than that they are all places that house artifacts and connections to history. I found that natural daylighting, typically through the use of sky lighting was a common theme. Central spaces such as courtyards were also found throughout most of the museums. More directly related to our project, most of these courtyards contained central water features, such as fountains, to bring the experience inward. These courtyards become reflecting spaces, and the water features enhance the overall experience of the place. Lastly, returning back to exterior materials, all of which are heavy and grounding, provide a sense of protection towards what they hold within their walls,thus they serve as containers for vast amounts of unique treasures from across history.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, exterior made of precast concrete and crushed pink granite aggregate

Freer Gallery, central courtyard 

National Museum of American History, Tennessee marble