African American museum planned

The Baltimore Sun

The crown of an African king’s headdress provided inspiration for the winning design for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the next major building planned for the National Mall in Washington.

Smithsonian officials announced that the design team known as Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup won the competition to select architects for the $500 million museum. It is expected to open by 2015 on a 5-acre parcel by the Washington Monument. The proposal came from four firms that joined to work on the project: The Freelon Group, Adjaye Associates, Davis Brody Bond and SmithGroup. It was selected unanimously over five others that competed. The winners proposed a six-level building with a stone-clad base topped by a bronze-covered “corona.” Officials said the design captured the sense of spirituality and resiliency that they want to convey.