Renovated National Building Museum Set To Reopen March 13

WASHINGTON, DC — A majestic space in Washington, D.C., is about to reopen its doors to the public. On Friday, March 13, visitors will once again be able to take in the historic Great Hall at the National Building Museum, which has recently finished an extensive renovation.

The General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, closed the museum on Dec. 2, 2019, so that the building's concrete floor could be replaced with a modern foundation.

“It was a difficult decision for the Museum to close its doors, even for a short period,” said Chase W. Rynd, executive director of the National Building Museum, in a news release. “But the scope and scale of this project required us to do so. This is a necessary investment in our historic building’s infrastructure and we look forward to welcoming visitors back this spring.”

Visitors to the museum, which is located at 401 F St. N.W, will find many of the same features, but the space has been reconfigured to make it easier for visitors to navigate. Classrooms have been moved from the second floor to the first, so that the second floor will be a dedicated exhibition space. In addition, a new visitor center will open on the G Street side of the building, where visitors can purchase tickets for exhibitions.

"Part of that space will include a big display wall the features more than 40 objects from the museum's collection, various things the museum has added to its collection over the years," said Braulio Agnese, director of marketing and communications at the National Building Museum."There'll be some informational boards so people can learn more about the pieces."
Later in the spring, the museum will add an orientation gallery to the visitor center, which will help people better understand the history of the building and the history of the Building Museum.

Many ongoing exhibitions will be returning, including House and Home; Play Work Build, For You By Youth; and Animals Collected. In addition, the exhibition Alan Karchmer: The Architects’ Photographer will open on March 13, and the Architecture & Design Film Festival: D.C. will take place March 26-29. Later in the spring, the museum will host two evocative exhibitions, Architecture is Never Neutral: The Work of MASS Design Group, and The Wall/El Muro: What is a Border Wall?

Whether it's taking in the beauty of the building's Italian Renaissance design, attending an exhibition, admiring the Great Hall or sipping a cup of coffee in the cafe, the National Building Museum has a lot to offer.

"It's the only museum in the nation devoted to the built environment, so we hope to inspire curiosity and interest in the built environment," Agnese said. "In addition to which it's a grand historic building, the former Pension Building. It's one of great spaces in the District of Columbia and it's free to come into the space and experience it, visit our cafe or our gift shop, which is one of the best in the city, if I may say so."