Building of the Day Tour: National Air and Space Museum Mall Building Revitalization

Quinn Evans' design for the comprehensive revitalization of the National Air and Space Museum enhances accessibility, sustainability, and the visitor experience, while improving protection of the nation's most treasure artifacts of aerospace history.

The renovation integrates a new building envelope and infrastructure which maintain the historic character of this iconic museum. With reduced energy demand, the museum can now maintain stable environmental conditions for its priceless artifacts and interactive exhibits with state of the art technology. The new entrance from the National Mall provides an inviting and accessible environment for visitors, while expressing the mission of the museum: to commemorate, educate, and inspire.


Learning Objectives: 

  • Understand the design challenges, such as historic preservation issues, faced when an iconic building on the National Mall is renovated. 
  • Understand some of the particular challenges museum buildings present for sustainability, as well as the specific challenges encountered in designing the renovation of the National Air and Space Museum.
  • Understand the design strategies used to maximize daylighting. 
  • Understand the design strategies employed to bring a 1970s iconic building up to 2020s performance standards. 

Presented by: 

Colin Mackillop, AIA, LEED AP, CDT

Leora Mirvish, FAIA, LEED BD+C

Sharif Attia, AIA