Dive Brief:
- The deteriorating Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum is getting a $410 million, nine-year face lift, and museum officials are starting their search for the construction manager to make it happen, the Washington Business Journal reported.
- The scope of work for the overhaul includes: replacement of all existing building systems, including new HVAC and roof; asbestos remediation; new exterior structures to protect visitors from bad weather and sun; new landscaping for terraces; replacement of the warped and cracked "Tennessee Marble" stone cladding at the building’s exterior; accessibility upgrades; revamped stormwater management systems; and a plan for reduced UV light.
- Smithsonian officials said one of the selected construction manager’s priorities will be the preservation of the exhibits — some of which are susceptible to sudden changes in the environment and have taken a beating in the current museum’s state of disrepair.
Dive Insight:
The original construction budget for renovation of the museum, which opened July 1, 1976, as part of the country’s bicentennial celebrations, was $41 million, a 10th of what the renovation will cost, the Business Journal reported. The museum replaced skylights and windows 20 years ago, but the substandard mechanical systems — originally chosen to save money — are still in place.
The Smithsonian recently released a request for qualifications and anticipate issuing a request for proposal to prequalified firms in July, the Business Journal reported. The museum will stay open during construction, which the RFQ said should last from fall of 2016 to October of 2025, but officials plan to shut down sections as construction mandates.
Another Smithsonian favorite is being renovated, but plans for the $2 billion redo at the south end of the National Mall has critics lambasting architect Bjarke Ingels Group’s design. The Danish architect has proposed razing the Enid Haupt garden in favor of a modern plaza. Individuals and community groups, all the way from the visitors who started an online petition — which now has more than 1,800 signatures — to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, are opposed to the modern look, which they said will destroy a beloved DC landmark.