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ramps conceived by the Appelbaum exhibition design
team. The final ramp carries visitors to the Concourse
Level, where they may enter the Contemplative Court,
which lies just below the lawn to the north side of the
main building. The centerpiece of the court is a fountain
in which water falls from an oculus, or circular opening
in the ceiling, to a pool below. The Concourse Level also
includes a gallery for changing exhibitions, the café, and
a stylish auditorium named for one of the museum’s most
generous benefactors, Oprah Winfrey. The auditorium is
lined with perforated metal panels recalling those of
the corona.
Connecting the Concourse Level with the Entrance
Level above is a sweeping spiral staircase with railings of
solid, blue-tinted steel. Its simple, graceful swoop belies
the impressive structural system required to support such
a large, freestanding element. Like the circular fountain in
the Contemplative Court, the stair provides a welcome
curvilinear counterpoint to the predominant rectilinearity
of the museum.
Above the main floor are three more public levels
containing education facilities, Community Galleries
(including a section on African Americans in sports), and
Culture Galleries (focusing on visual and performing arts).
The circulation spine along the northern edge of each of
these floors affords views through the glass curtain wall
and the corona, with dappled city vistas beyond. From
this vantage point, the purpose of several large gaps in
the ornamental screen, which appear almost accidental
from the exterior, becomes clear: they judiciously frame
broad lines of sight toward nearby landmarks.
The exhibitry in the upper-level galleries, focusing
on more contemporary subject matter, is appropriately
much livelier and less formal than in the history section.
In these areas, visitors are bombarded with countless
familiar images and objects that are likely to evoke very
specific memories from the own lifetimes. There are also
several architectural surprises lurking on these levels,
including a small peninsula jutting out from the Community
Galleries and leading to a slender window that perfectly
Photo © Alan Karchmer/NMAAHC
frames the Washington Monument. Another nook in the
southeast corner of the Culture Galleries highlights the
that they are going back in time. They emerge in a long view down the Mall toward the Capitol dome.
relatively low-ceilinged, dark space, where the historical Administrative offices and support spaces occupy the
narrative commences with the earliest days of the slave topmost level of the building, which is set back from the
trade. At strategic points, depressions in the concrete floor parapet of the corona and thus largely invisible from ground
accommodate quasi-archaeological displays that add level. The setback allows for terraces with spectacularly
literal and figurative depth to the narrative. Here as else- open views that can be used for special events. The
where in the historically oriented galleries, the architecture bright, airy offices are a far cry from the dungeon-like
and the exhibitry are thoughtfully integrated, managing workspaces common to many other museums, in which
to evoke emotional reactions without resorting to employees are often relegated to basements or other areas
cheap theatrics. with minimal light and room.
As the storyline proceeds through time, visitors
encounter breathtaking artifacts at a wide range of scales, A Sense of Responsibility and Pride
from a shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Britain’s Queen
Victoria, to a 77-ton, Jim-Crow-era railcar (with segregated Any project proposed for a site on the National Mall
seating) that had to be installed while the museum was must endure extraordinary scrutiny from governmental
still under construction. Visitors ascend through the three officials, design review agencies, and the general public.
floors of history galleries via a series of long, gently sloping In the case of a museum that focuses on the history and

A DREAM DEFERRED NO MORE 25