Dive Brief:
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The 39-year-old National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington “is falling apart” and will cost $365 million to repair, The Washington Business Journal reported on Tuesday.
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The National Capital Planning Commission is set to review a proposal for a massive renovation that will include repairing the building’s HVAC system, roof, security system, marble facade and windows. The Journal reported that the museum’s glass curtain wall inadequately blocks the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which has resulted in the “severe yellowing” of an astronaut’s space suit and has damaged the Spirit of St. Louis’ lacquer coating.
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The glass will be replaced with factory-fabricated, triple-glazed panels, and 2.5-inch stone will supplant the original, inch-thick marble exterior.
Dive Insight:
The Journal called the number of problems in the popular Smithsonian space museum “stunning.”
Quinn Evans Architects, which came up with the new concept design, have said the building’s 1976 components can’t keep up with the seven million tourists who visit each year.
The original four-year construction project cost just $40 million — low even for the time — after budget-cutters “downgraded” some of the materials, including the exterior cladding.
The renovation is scheduled to begin in 2018 and last six years, but the museum is expected to stay open throughout the process.