Occupying the last available space on the National Mall, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) is situated prominently between the National Museum of American History and 15th Street, next to the Washington Monument. When it opens to the public in 2015, the NMAAHC will feature exhibition space for African American history and culture, as well as a centerpiece venue for ceremonies and performances. The facility will look unlike any other structure on the Mall. The bronze and glass-panel façade, known as the Corona, is a representation of traditional African architecture using modern materials and will visually define the museum. The Corona will hang from the top of the museum with no intermediate support. The museum’s five above-grade levels will be supported by four concrete towers linked at the top by steel trusses. Below grade, the project includes three cast-in-place concrete levels: a mechanical level, a concourse level, and a mezzanine level.
New construction