I grew up during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and, like many others of my generation, I like to think I am well-informed about the history of race in the United States.
Though the scaffolding on the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s new building on the Mall in Washington, D.C. has been down for some time, allowing the public full view of its three-tiered, crown-shaped exterior of bronze-colored cast-aluminum panels, on Thursday, a small group of journalists was given a tour of its nearly complete interiors, where installation of exhibits has already begun.
With its trio of inward-sloping tiers, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) cuts a striking profile on the National Mall.
On April 14 Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (AAHC), announced the selection of Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup to design the museum’s freestanding building on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C. The winning team, comprising The Freelon Group, Adjaye Associates, Davis Brody Bond, and SmithGroup, was part of shortlist of six teams announced on January 29. The finalists’ proposals for the museum design were unveiled at the Smithsonian Institution Building, also known in Washington as the Castle, on March 27. Images courtesy Smithsonian / Imaging Atelier A team comprising The Freelon Group, Adjaye Associates,
