| THE WALKTHROUGH 04.08.08 4:28 PM |
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| With Plenty of Event Space,
Newseum (Finally) Ready to Open |
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Space isn’t an issue for the Newseum’s new 250,000-square-foot building, which officially opens on April 11, with seven floors of exhibitions (devoted to the history of news) and the two-tier Knight Conference Center. The location—on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the National Gallery of Art—and the connection to Wolfgang Puck’s catering company and on-site restaurant the Source has certainly helped the buzz, making the $450 million museum one of the most-anticipated new venues for D.C. this year.
The building's enormous glass front evokes the museum’s mission to be a “window on the world,” and the sleek, modern design offers countless sweeping views—among them, several window-wrapped meeting spaces and four large terraces that provide bird’s-eye views of the Capitol and the Mall.
The focal point of the complex is the New York Times–Ochs-Sulzberger Family Great Hall of News, which features a 90-foot atrium with a hanging traffic helicopter, a 238-foot-long news zipper, and a 40- by 22-foot LED screen (live video of guests entering the venue can be projected here). The space can seat 350 or accommodate as many as 500 for a reception. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The second-floor balcony overlooks the New York Times–Ochs-Sulzberger Family Great Hall of News, with its 40- by 22-foot LED screen and hanging traffic helicopter.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The private dining room on the second level can seat 50, and is the only space available for events during museum hours.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | Each floor in the museum opens up to the 90-foot atrium.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The sixth-floor Today's Front Pages Gallery, with a display of international newspaper clippings, and its adjoining balcony can hold as many as 150 for receptions.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The NBC News Interactive Newsroom offers space for guests to mingle and try their hand at being a newscaster—or take an ethics quiz.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The front reception area in the Knight Conference Center is accessible by a private elevator, and connects to the main space through glass bridges.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The conference center's largest single room (dubbed "706") has 2,550 square feet, space for a 285-person reception, and access to an open-air patio.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The 720-square-foot boardroom, or "702," in the conference center is surrounded by glass windows and includes a hollow-square rectangular table that seats 24.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | The top floor of the conference center offers air wall capabilities, drop-down plasma screens, and access to an expansive terrace.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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 | A terrace with views of the Capitol is located on the top floor of the conference center. The space can be tented.
Photo: Thomas Arledge for BizBash |
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The Knight Conference Center, named after the founders of the now-defunct Knight Ridder media company, takes over floors seven and eight, and is by far the most flexible venue in the building, with 24,000 square feet and a slew of meeting spaces. The center is accessible by a separate elevator bank, which opens onto a reception room that connects to the event spaces by glass bridges (a separate set is used for waitstaff) that offer dizzying views of the museum’s interior atrium.
Although the conference center can be broken down into a variety of configurations, the bottom level boasts a 2,550-square-foot room (dubbed 706, it is the venue's largest single space), which can host a 285-person reception and has expansive windows and access to an open-air patio. The 720-square-foot boardroom on the other end of the floor is the corner office (or “702”), with an almost solid glass construction, a hollow-square rectangular table that seats 24, ergonomic chairs, and five flat-screen TVs. The entire Newseum offers free wireless Internet.
The conference center's top level is slightly smaller, with air walls available for sectioning space, a full audiovisual setup, and an additional terrace that can be tented. Like the museum, the Knight Conference Center works exclusively with Wolfgang Puck Catering.
The interactive exhibitions in the Newseum are available for event packages, but the museum also offers several entertaining spaces throughout the main building. The second-floor balcony overlooking the atrium includes a 50-seat private dining room that is the only space available for events during regular hours. An adjoining roofed terrace can also be used, and at nearby NBC News Interactive Newsroom kiosks, guests can try their hand at being a newscaster.
The sixth floor holds the Today's Front Pages Gallery, which offers a display of 80 international newspaper clippings, Brazilian wood floors, and access to yet another terrace. Combined, the spaces can hold up to 150 for a reception, and 110 for a seated event. That floor also has access to the museum’s enormous glass elevators (dubbed the “party-vators” by staffers), which can be equipped with a glowing bar and a butler to serve hors d’oeuvres to as many as 40 guests.
—Danielle O'Steen
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