Winning NMAAHC design announced
On Tuesday, the Smithsonian Institution selected a winning design among the five finalists for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, slated to open in 2015 on the National Mall. The design chosen was submitted by David Adjaye, a Tanzanian-born architect. And rather than steal copyright images, I’ll just post a link to the New York Times slideshow to catch you all up to date with the designs submitted and greater detail on the one chosen.
I must admit, the winning design was not my favorite among the five. Having dwelled on the subject for a few weeks, I decided that the Norman Foster design was my favorite. What I like about the Norman Foster design is that it really looks like a reworking of the giant, monolithic buildings that I associate with the national mall. The design blended the traditional details of the classical and neo-classical buildings on the Mall with new, modern designs. It really communicated a sense of “we did this and now we’re going to try something different.” Perhaps, I just like visual consistency a little more than I should.
That said, I really like the Adjaye design too. Among the submissions I saw, the chosen design was my second favorite. There’s definitely something to be said for the abandonment of the classical design elements in the other buildings. And I like that the shift in design strategies among Smithsonian Institution designs will begin with the NMAAHC. It creates a good break in chronology of the institutions.
Plus, I’m a huge proponent of buildings being included in the museums collection. As the first exposure of any sort to the museum’s mission and the values it espouses, I think the building is really key in enhancing the experience. Most architecture that originated for the purpose of housing museums and their collections have embraced this idea. Of course, that lead to buildings that perpetuated the idea of museums as large, uninviting institutions. Perhaps, it’s time that the national museums break away from that mold and begin to seek out more inviting, modern designs, as I think the Smithsonian Institution seems to conjure, at least in my mind, buildings more similar to the National Museum of American History rather than any of the new NMAAHC design. Perhaps, the Adjaye design is the ideal building to catalyze this change.