The two newest upcoming additions to the Smithsonian,
American Museum of Women’s History, will be fantastic strides in the soon-to-be Biden Administration’s slow but assuring work towards widespread cultural education and acceptance. In December 2020, Congress
officially approved legislation that will create the two museums, backed in part by the recently approved omnibus package including a $900 billion COVID-19 relief fund. Both buildings are slated to be built on or directly around the National Mall in Washington D.C.
The passing of the legislation was no small feat. In addition to decades of pushback, failed bill passings, and general ignorance from both the United States government and the art world at large, two separate proposals for the two museums were
The Smithsonian Institution s Castle on the National Mall in Washington, DC
The Smithsonian Institution has scaled back its $2bn plan for expanding buildings on the southern end of its Washington, DC, campus, while unveiling details of the restoration and renovation of its 1855 Castle and its 1881 Arts and Industries Building (AIB). The updated cost has not been disclosed.
Presenting the second stage of the revised programme on Wednesday to community leaders, a Smithsonian historic preservation specialist, Carly Bond, focussed on the Castle and AIB as well as an underground utility plant that will serve those two buildings and others. The Castle, an administrative building, and the AIB, a former exhibition space that has been mostly closed since 2004, are both National Historic Landmarks.
Late on Sunday, December 27
th, after initially raising concerns about the pandemic relief measure that had overwhelmingly passed Congress days before, President Trump signed the measure into law, ending a long political stalemate and beginning the process of sending financial relief to American families and small businesses, further aiding the American economy. As with the CARES Act enacted in March, this bill, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,” passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly, on a bipartisan vote of 359-53 in the House, followed swiftly by a 92-6 vote in the Senate.
1 With an official price tag of approximately $900 billion, it is the second largest stimulus measure ever enacted by Congress.
By PEGGY MCGLONE | The Washington Post | Published: January 12, 2021 WASHINGTON When the Smithsonian introduced a futuristic plan for the 17 acres around its iconic administration building, the National Historic Landmark known as the Castle, officials predicted it would be a game-changer that would remake the structure into a visitor gateway to the storied institution. Six years later, a new Smithsonian administration has jettisoned the eye-popping elements of the $2 billion design by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, opting instead for a dramatically downsized version. Set to be presented publicly for the first time this week, the scaled-back plan focuses on the renovation and restoration of the James Renwick-designed Castle and the adjacent Arts and Industries Building(AIB), another National Historic Landmark designed by Adolf Cluss and Paul Schulze.
The Smithsonian Has Scrapped Its $2 Billion Bjarke Ingels Redesign in Favor of a Far More Modest Overhaul
After cancelling plans to open a museum in London with the V&A, the Smithsonian is now scaling back its expansion at home in DC.
January 12, 2021
Some elements of Bjarke Ingels s $2 billion masterplan for the Smithsonian s south campus. Rendering by Brick Visual, courtesy of Bjarke Ingels Group.
The Smithsonian Institution has ditched much of a $2 billion design plan by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, which was set to be the blueprint for a major overhaul of its south campus. Unveiled in late 2014, the splashy master plan was expected to take 20 to 30 years to complete, with construction beginning this year.