Five design options for the proposed National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. have been unveiled.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro unveiled the designs during an event at the Navy Yard earlier this month.
“While each concept is different, all of them show how we might celebrate our Navy’s accomplishments, honor our veterans and point the way toward the Navy’s future,” he said.
In October, Del Toro said the service’s preferred location for the new museum would be on land adjacent to the Navy Yard that would be acquired either through a land exchange or direct purchase.
The planned museum campus would consist of approximately 270,000 square feet and include about 100,000 square feet of net gallery space, according to a Navy release.
Following the location announcement, Naval History and Heritage Command moved forward with its conceptual development phase and held a competition to explore the full realm of artistic ideas that might be incorporated into a new museum.
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The competition sought concepts and ideas from a broad range of individuals and architecture firms. Eighty firms expressed interest in participating in the competition following the initial announcement in December. Five architecture firms were ultimately selected as finalists: Bjarke Ingels Group, DLR Group, Frank Gehry Partners, Perkins & Will and Quinn Evans.
Since January, the firms developed their unique submissions of conceptual ideas to include a museum entrance, an atrium, a ceremonial courtyard, and the incorporation of some of the Navy’s larger artifacts, like a Corsair aircraft, a Swift Boat, and the sail of a submarine.
“We’ll tell the story of the Navy’s history as it continues to unfold, and the ideas developed by our finalists herald a new way of honoring that history by inviting visitors to participate,” said NHHC Director and retired Rear Adm. Samuel J. Cox.
Charles Swift, acting director of the Museum of the United States Navy, who oversaw the competition, said the concepts show what might be possible for a new museum.
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"We have a number of steps we need to complete before determining a final design, and that first step is having a conversation with America: our Navy, our veterans and our nation, about what we’ve presented today.”
The firms’ concepts are available here.
The final canvases from the competition will remain on display for public viewing at the Navy's National Museum on the Washington Navy Yard. Access hours are limited because of the museum's consolidation. Visit here for hours and access guidance. NHHC plans additional public showcases this summer.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.