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“The Spoken World” exhibition in the Great Hall. The LED globe can be raised Photo © Local Projects/Ray Whitehouse
and flattened to allow for special events in the space.

With the help of consulting firms, feasibility studies, and two grand staircases with ornate cast-iron and wood railings.
space needs assessments, Friedman explored possible DC To strengthen the stairs, the BBB team tucked in steel tubing
locations including the Franklin School, which she initially invisible to visitors. Restoring the original encaustic tile of the
rejected thinking it too small. It was about that time she first met stair treads was time consuming. “Encaustic means the pigment
with Gretchen Pfaehler, AIA, partner and senior preservation goes through the tile,” explained Pfaehler. “To clean the tile
architect at Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB), a firm well known for required peeling back years of rubber treads, glue, asphalt
its historic preservation practice. “The firm appealed to me paint, and other coatings and we had to be extremely careful
because they already knew the building well, having assessed of the solvents we used. We replaced the few broken pieces
it previously for other potential occupants. They also had the with perfectly matched custom-made tiles.” To meet weight-
excellent idea to create the accessible entrance around the corner bearing code requirements, the architects had to reinforce some
on K Street and to create a fourth floor that could be leased out floors by injecting concrete into the brick and steel framework.
as an event space so we could keep museum admission free.” They encountered a few surprises in the building’s structure,
“There was a lot of flexibility in the Franklin School space,” particularly when they began digging into its deteriorating
said Pfaehler. “The flow of rooms worked for us and we felt it concrete footings.
was a good fit right from the start. It could become a museum The restored interior is airy and light-filled with an easy
while retaining the distinctive Cluss architecture. His tall flow among exhibit spaces. The building’s central Great Hall,
windows, high ceilings, and abundant natural light—we were on the third floor, with its replicated wall frescos, boasts an
able to take advantage of all of it.” immense kinetic light sculpture that immerses museum
There were, however, significant challenges. The visitors in the diversity of world languages and can retract
architects took particular care restoring and renovating the into an elegant ceiling chandelier when the space is used for

26 A PLAY ON WORDS