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Sited prominently between the Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) on the National Mall will be a centerpiece venue for ceremonies and presentations, as well as a primary exhibition space for Indian arts, histories and cultures. A joint venture of Clark Construction Group, LLC and Table Mountain Rancheria Enterprises (TMR) of Friant, Calif., an American Indian firm, will serve as general contractor on the 260,000-gross-square-foot, five-story structure.
Involvement of Native Americans
The planning of the Smithsonian’s NMAI museum was executed with the direct involvement of a wide cross section of Native Americans from throughout the western hemisphere. The architecture firm of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, the Smithsonian and NMAI developed The Way of the People, a multi-volume architectural document that established not only the technical aspects of the architectural program, but a philosophical approach to the design that would respect and honor the cultural concerns of Native peoples. When it is completed, the facility will reflect the relationship between humankind and the rest of nature, with references to the four cardinal directions and the four elements of the world - earth, air, water and fire.
Unique Design
Since the beginning of the design process, several design consultants have worked on this project including: The Polshek Partnership of New York and SmithGroup of Reston, Va., joint venture architects; Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/Choctaw) of Jones and Jones, architect and design consultant; Donna House (Navajo/Oneida), ethno-botanist and design consultant; Ramona Sakiestewa (Hopi), artist and design consultant; Lou Weller (Caddo), architect and design consultant; and the Native American Design Collaborative, a consortium of Native American design professionals. The curvilinear structure will be constructed of a buff-colored Kasota stone, found only in Minnesota, and reminiscent of natural rock sculpted over time by wind and water. Other natural building materials will be utilized throughout the building’s interior.
A vibrant gathering place where Native cultures will be celebrated, the “Potomac” is the heart of the building. The Potomac’s central feature point will be a large diameter pipe stone, a material that will symbolically represent a fire pit. All other spaces radiate from this domed space, 115 feet by 121 feet high. An oculus in the dome provides views to the sky and allows a natural stream of light in, tracing the path of the sun and creating a solar calendar. A sculptural copper screen will line the path to the entrance of the Potomac, gradually dropping in height to reveal activities throughout the museum. In addition to exhibit areas, the museum also will include two theatres, an outdoor performance area, café, resource center and museum shops.
Located on over four acres, the structure will be surrounded by natural landscapes indigenous to the region, including wetlands, meadowlands and a hardwood forest. Originally, the National Mall was a marsh with a tidal waterway that colonial Americans called Tiber Creek. Over the last two centuries, the landscape has been altered to create the open dry plains of the Mall. Now the NMAI will reverse some of these efforts to create an oasis of the original landscape.
In addition to Clark and the architects, the project team includes Cosentini Associates of New York, mechanical /electrical engineer; Severud Associates of New York, structural engineer; EDAW, Inc. of Alexandria, Va., landscape architect. The project is scheduled for completion in 2004.
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