Existing comment:
Revitalizing for Millions More
The National Air and Space Museum is one of the most visited museums in the world. Since opening, we have attracted more than 350 million visitors. That's a lot of wear and tear on our physical structure! The current revitalization effort will modernize the building site systems in a sustainable way, seeking a US Green Building Council certification of "Gold" in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
We are recladding the building with a granite similar in color, texture, and dimension to the original Tennessee Pink Marble. This choice improves the durability and longevity of the facade components, while maintaining the contextual dialogue with the National Mall setting.
The Museum maintains the world's largest aerospace collection -- more than 65,000 artifacts. Our building keeps the collection visible from the exterior, a highly unusual museum design. We're using the most current glazing technology to remove damaging ultraviolet rays. And in combination with upgraded mechanical systems, the revitalization will provide a proper interior museum environment to preserve and protect the collection -- so the Museum may continue to narrate the greatest achievements of flight far into the future. |