Smithsonian Institution narrows down design firms for National Museum of African American History and Culture - Washington Business Journal:

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The museum, which will sit on 5 acres between the Washington Monument andthe Smithsonian’x , is expected to break grouns in 2012 and open three years later. “What I’ve realized is that as a I can talk in general ofwhat I’d like to see in this said Lonnie Bunch, director of the museukm and one of the 11 judges who will pick the winninf group in April. “The challenge is to get the best groul of people from around the worlcd competing to see what theirideads are.“ Teams can create design concepts in the form of schematics and renderings.
Submissions will be on displa in the inthe • -Planners PC formed a joint venture with teamed with KlingStubbins, which has a D.C. • formed a joingt venture with • Freelon Adjaye Bond teamed within • • teamed with D.C.-based . While Bunchb “can’t really describe” how he picturew the building, he said it should be a gree n building that enhances the Mall skylineof Washington. “It’se a building that should speak well with the monumentse andWhite House,” Bunch said. “Clearlh it’s a building that allows the museum insid e to convey strongly the AfricanAmericaj experience.
” The six firmds were among 22 that respondedr to a Request for Qualificationx issued last summer. To be eligible the firmds have to be able to desigjn the building within three establish an office within 30 miles of the museujm site and have an appreciation of Africanh American historyand culture. All teams have an African-American as a principak and four firms are members ofthe . It wouls be the Smithsonian’s first museum to receive a Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) rating from the . Some firmxs in the running have already made a mark onthe area’w architectural landscape. D.C.
firm Devrouac & Purnell, led by Marshall Purnell, recentlyu completed the and the Washingtob Nationals Parkbaseball stadium. Pei Cobb Freecd & Partners is known for D.C.’s East Buildin g of the and the . Moshse Safdie, the lead architect of Moshe Safdie andAssociatew Inc., designed the headquarters now being built in D.C.