The White House Visitor Center, in an effort led by the National Park Service and the White House Historical Association, reopened its doors after a two-year, $12 million renovation. For the project, the Washington, DC, office of SmithGroupJJR, provided architecture and engineering services, working closely with Gallagher & Associates for exhibit design.
The newly renovated Visitor Center shows the White House in all of its uses – office, stage, museum, park and home. The 16,000-square-foot space now offers a special and unique educational experience that complements a tour of the White House while also serving as a standalone experience.
The White House Visitor Center first opened in 1995 in historic Malcolm Baldrige Hall in the U.S. Department of Commerce building. The primary mission of the facility was to distribute timed entry passes to the White House and provide a brief historical overview of the White House and President’s Park to visitors prior to their visit. With the elimination of daily timed entry following the events of 9/11, the facility’s mission evolved to primarily serve as an educational center for nearly 700,000 visitors per year.
With the renovation, the design team’s goal was to create opportunities for children and families to connect to the history of the White House, highlighting its complex role as a symbol to the world. Features include new interactive interpretive exhibits, a theater with a 14-minute film, a new permanent museum gallery, a temporary exhibit area, a new retail shop and visitor information facilities.
All of this was accomplished while respecting the historic fabric of Baldrige Hall and in compliance with The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. This seamless integration of architecture and exhibits within the distinct character of the room creates a dialog between old and new by enhancing the qualities of Baldrige Hall as a backdrop to the contemporary new visitor experience.
“Not only does this transformative design help the White House Historical Association better achieve its educational mission, but it also exemplifies the National Park Service’s larger mission of preservation of the nation’s heritage, stewardship of the environment and accessibility for all visitors,” said David Greenbaum, FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, vice president at SmithGroupJJR and design principal for the project.
“The essence of this new experience is to bring to life the voices of those who worked and lived in the White House through time in an environment that’s both engaging and interactive,” said Cybelle Jones, principal and creative director at Gallagher & Associates and exhibit design leader.
The project is targeting LEED-CI Gold certification.
Related Stories
Engineers | Sep 15, 2023
NIST investigation of Champlain Towers South collapse indicates no sinkhole
Investigators from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say they have found no evidence of underground voids on the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, according to a new NIST report. The team of investigators have studied the site’s subsurface conditions to determine if sinkholes or excessive settling of the pile foundations might have caused the collapse.
Office Buildings | Sep 14, 2023
New York office revamp by Kohn Pedersen Fox features new façade raising occupant comfort, reducing energy use
The modernization of a mid-century Midtown Manhattan office tower features a new façade intended to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. The building, at 666 Fifth Avenue, was originally designed by Carson & Lundin. First opened in November 1957 when it was considered cutting-edge, the original façade of the 500-foot-tall modernist skyscraper was highly inefficient by today’s energy efficiency standards.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 13, 2023
Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital breaks ground in Tampa Bay
Construction kicked off recently on TGH Behavioral Health Hospital, Florida’s first freestanding academic medical behavioral health hospital. The joint venture partnership between Tampa General (a 1,040-bed facility) and Lifepoint Behavioral Health will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient care in specialized units for pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics, and fills a glaring medical need in the area.
Adaptive Reuse | Sep 13, 2023
Houston's first innovation district is established using adaptive reuse
Gensler's Vince Flickinger shares the firm's adaptive reuse of a Houston, Texas, department store-turned innovation hub.
Giants 400 | Sep 12, 2023
Top 75 Retail Sector Engineering and Engineering Architecture (EA) Firms for 2023
Kimley-Horn, Henderson Engineers, Jacobs, and EXP head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail building engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.
Giants 400 | Sep 11, 2023
Top 140 Retail Sector Architecture and Architecture Engineering (AE) Firms for 2023
Gensler, Arcadis, Core States Group, WD Partners, and NORR top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest retail sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all retail buildings work, including big box stores, cineplexes, entertainment centers, malls, restaurants, strip centers, and theme parks.
Resiliency | Sep 11, 2023
FEMA names first communities for targeted assistance on hazards resilience
FEMA recently unveiled the initial designation of 483 census tracts that will be eligible for increased federal support to boost resilience to natural hazards and extreme weather. The action was the result of bipartisan legislation, the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022. The law aims to help localities most at risk from the impacts of climate change to build resilience to natural hazards.
MFPRO+ Research | Sep 11, 2023
Conversions of multifamily dwellings to ‘mansions’ leading to dwindling affordable stock
Small multifamily homes have historically provided inexpensive housing for renters and buyers, but developers have converted many of them in recent decades into larger, single-family units. This has worsened the affordable housing crisis, say researchers.
Engineers | Sep 8, 2023
Secrets of a structural engineer
Walter P Moore's Scott Martin, PE, LEED AP, DBIA, offers tips and takeaways for young—and veteran—structural engineers in the AEC industry.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 8, 2023
Modern healthcare interiors: Healing and care from the outside in
CO Architects shares design tips for healthcare interiors, from front desk to patient rooms.
