On Wednesday, the National Museum of American History announced plans to officially open on November 21, after a two-year, $85 million renovation. The museum's look, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York, will include a new five-story atrium with a skylight, a grand staircase leading up to the second floor, and a third-story balcony overlooking the center atrium.
The entrance on Constitution Avenue will open up to the first floor, which can seat as many 500 and will be surrounded by historical items such as Civil War artifacts and political memorabilia. "This reconfiguration will allow event guests to be surrounded by the objects of American history," director of special events Elizabeth Little said yesterday.
The second floor Flag Hall, accessible by a new glass-and-steel staircase, will now be lit by the atrium's skylight, and will include a 40-by-19-foot interpretation of the American flag—in the form of 960 reflective polycarbonate tiles—as the centerpiece and entrance to the climate-controlled Star-Spangled Banner gallery. The Flag Hall and the third-story balcony combined can fit up to 350 seated guests.
Even with the new configuration, the renovation will not change the museum's maximum 3,500-guest capacity for a reception.
