FREELON ADJAYE BOND / SMITHGROUP

At its best, architecture is the physical manifestation of a culture’s highest ideals.  The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) – the institution and the building – embodies the African American spirit.  Majestic yet exuberant.  Dignified yet triumphant.  Of the African Diaspora yet distinctly African American.  The NMAAHC will be a building worthy of the museum’s vision - and its prominent place on the National Mall.

The primary architectural idea for the museum was derived from the classical tripartite column with its base, shaft and capital.  In Yoruban art and architecture, the column or wooden post was usually crafted with a capital resembling a crown.  This crown or corona form is the central idea which has driven the design of the museum. 

Reaching toward the sky, the bronze clad corona expresses faith, hope and resiliency.  Internal to the building, the corona forms a perimeter zone which surrounds the primary galleries.  Daylight enters this zone through patterned openings in the bronze cladding and through skylights – washing wood covered walls with light while providing views upward and outward.  At night, the corona glows, presenting stunning views of the museum from a variety of vantage points in and around the Mall. 

Renderings: Imaging Atelier 

Model Photography: Mark Herboth